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Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - the main site of photochemical reactions as well as in the antenna complex. Under average light conditions, the rate at which reaction center pigments absorb light is far below the electron transport chain's capacity. As a result, the reaction center alone cannot provide enough energy to drive photosynthesis. The photosynthetic efficiency can...
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Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts—the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In plants, the highest density of chloroplasts is found in the mesophyll cells of leaves.
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Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
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Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
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Subsurface chlorophyll maximum layers: enduring enigma or mystery solved?

John J Cullen1

  • 1Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada;

Annual Review of Marine Science
|September 25, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Subsurface chlorophyll maximum layers (SCMLs) form from various interacting processes, not a single cause. These layers of high chlorophyll a concentration are common in stratified waters due to factors like nutrient availability and phytoplankton behavior.

Keywords:
acclimationbehaviorcarbon-to-chlorophyll ratiodeep chlorophyll maximumgrowthphytoplanktonprimary productionstratificationthin layersturbulence

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Oceanography
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Subsurface chlorophyll maximum layers (SCMLs) are widespread phenomena in stratified ocean waters.
  • Elevated chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) in SCMLs results from complex ecological interactions.
  • Understanding SCMLs is crucial for marine ecosystem dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the diverse mechanisms driving the formation and persistence of SCMLs.
  • To investigate the role of phytoplankton physiology and behavior in SCML development.
  • To explore the relationship between SCMLs and environmental factors like nutrient flux and light availability.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of vertical profiles of chlorophyll a, phytoplankton biomass, nutrients, and light.
  • Incorporation of phytoplankton growth rates, photoacclimation, and behavioral responses (motility, buoyancy).
  • Utilizing data from a global ocean observing system to test biogeochemical predictions.

Main Results:

  • SCML formation is attributed to multiple interacting processes, including nutrient dynamics and phytoplankton adaptations.
  • Phytoplankton growth rate maxima near the nutricline and photoacclimation significantly contribute to SCMLs.
  • Phytoplankton behavior, such as motility and buoyancy control, leads to aggregations in distinct layers.

Conclusions:

  • SCMLs are not solely driven by a single factor but by a combination of ecological and physical processes.
  • A typical stable water structure influences vertical profiles of key oceanographic variables.
  • Current research, supported by global ocean observing systems, aligns with established knowledge of SCML formation.