High midday temperature stress has stronger effects on biomass than on photosynthesis : A mesocosm experiment on four tropical seagrass species

• The effect of repeated midday temperature stress on the photosynthetic performance and biomass production of seagrass was studied in a mesocosm setup with four common tropical species, including Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata, Enhalus acoroides, and Thalassodendron ciliatum. To mimic natural conditions during low tides, the plants were exposed to temperature spikes of different maximal temperatures, that is, ambient (29-33 degrees C), 34, 36, 40, and 45 degrees C, during three midday hours for seven consecutive days. At temperatures of up to 36 degrees C, all species could maintain full photosynthetic rates (measured as the electron transport rate, ETR) throughout the experiment without displaying any obvious photosynthetic stress responses (measured as declining maximal quantum yield, Fv/Fm). All species except T.ciliatum could also withstand 40 degrees C, and only at 45 degrees C did all species display significantly lower photosynthetic rates and declining Fv/Fm. Biomass estimation, however, revealed a different pattern, where significant losses of both above- and belowground seagrass biomass occurred in all species at both 40 and 45 degrees C (except for C.serrulata in the 40 degrees C treatment). Biomass losses were clearly higher in the shoots than in the belowground root-rhizome complex. The findings indicate that, although tropical seagrasses presently can cope with high midday temperature stress, a few degrees increase in maximum daily temperature could cause significant losses in seagrass biomass and productivity.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

biomass loss

climate change

photosynthetic performance

tropical seagrass

Western Indian Ocean

Plant Physiology

växtfysiologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)