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Abstract Detail


Physiological Section

Thorhaug, Anitra [1], Berlyn, Graeme [2].

The Effect of Green and Blue Light vs. Red Light on the Subtropical/Tropical Western Atlantic Seagrasses Syringodium filiforme vs. Halodule wrightii's Spectral Reflectance and Partial Absorpti.

The possible fate of sunlight within a plant are absorbance,reflectance, fluorescence, emission and transmittance. In the physiology of a plant, spectral reflectance and absorbance signatures can illuminate biochemical composition, pigment content, and water content, as well as structural features. Seagrasses bathed in salt water have no stomata and are relatively balanced for water. However, their pigment content except for generalized measurements with extracted pigments has not been analyzed,especially for physiological responses for many factors including light. We compare responses of Eastern Atlantic subtropical/tropical whole living mature Syringodium filiforme to Halodule wrightii incubated for 6 h (a half a tidal cycle) using a non-destructive, non-invasive spectral reflectance meter to diminishing colored light. Each species was highly activated within the 420-520 nm areas with 10 and 23% light during a 6 h incubation. The xanthophyll plus carotenoid responses to red light were different than their responses to green or blue light, particularly at the diminished levels in each species, but not equivalent between species. These responses will be discussed in detail. However,the yellow light incubations had surprising results, especially for Syringodium filiforme. Generally, the red edge was more similar in blue vs. green light than that of red and yellow. The green edge response differed widely among treatments. Peaks of pigment activations were highly pronounced for the accessory xanthophyll and carotenoid pigments during these treatments especially compared to responses of Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina. The implications of this data to life in shallow and deep marine waters will be discussed as well as the synergistic responses of light levels with changes in salinity.

Broader Impacts:


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Related Links:
http://environment.yale.edu/profile/berlyn/ -


1 - Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, 359 Prospect St., New Haven , Ct. , 06901, USA
2 - Yale University, School Of Foresty & Evironmental Studies, GREELEY LAB-370 PROSPECT ST, NEW HAVEN, CT, 06511, USA

Keywords:
Spectral reflectance
Partial absorbance
carotenoids
xanthophylls
seagrass
Thalassia testudinim
Halodule wrightii
Syringodium filiforme
Zostera marina
diminishing light
green light and seagrass
blue light
blue light and seagrass
chlorophyll a responses
seagrass spectral signatures
red light and seagrass.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 30
Location: Westminster Room/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Time: 10:05 AM
Number: 30007
Abstract ID:447


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