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Photosynthetic and respiratory characteristics of the shade-tolerant kelp Agarum clathratum

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Abstract

To clarify the photosynthetic and respiratory characteristics of Agarum clathratum in relation to shade tolerance, parameters of photosynthetic light-response curves of A. clathratum growing at depths of 5–16 m were compared with those of Saccharina coriacea growing at shallower depths of 1–10 m. Moreover, using the photosynthetic parameters and continuous data on underwater photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), daily photosynthesis and respiration in the underwater light environment for the two species were estimated and compared. The lower values of respiration rate and light compensation point (LCP) of A. clathratum (1.8–2.5 µL O2 cm–2 h–1, 2.0–2.4 µmol m–2 s–1), compared with those of S. coriacea (5.2–5.6 µL O2 cm–2 h–1, 4.9–8.3 µmol m–2 s–1), indicate that it reduces daily respiration and maintains a positive daily net photosynthesis at low light intensities, enabling it to inhabit deeper depths than S. coriacea. Lower ratios of daily respiration to daily gross photosynthesis (14.7–35.2%) estimated in A. clathratum, compared with those (28.1–84.0%) in S. coriacea, also suggest a shade-tolerant strategy for achieving greater net photosynthesis by reducing respiration.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Habomai Fishermen’s Cooperative Association for permitting the fieldwork in their administrative waters. We thank Mr. K. Minatoya for his support in collecting samples, Dr. Y. Takada for his valuable comments, and Dr. C. Norman for improving the English of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Fukuura 2-12-4, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-8648, Japan

    Yoshihiko Sakanishi

  2. Fisheries Resources Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Katsurakoi 116, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0802, Japan

    Hiromi Kasai

  3. Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan 4-5-7, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan

    Jiro Tanaka

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  1. Yoshihiko Sakanishi
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Correspondence to Yoshihiko Sakanishi.

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Sakanishi, Y., Kasai, H. & Tanaka, J. Photosynthetic and respiratory characteristics of the shade-tolerant kelp Agarum clathratum. Fish Sci 88, 555–563 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-022-01624-y

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