Skip Navigation


JPR Advance Access originally published online on February 16, 2004
Journal of Plankton Research 2004 26(4):433-443; doi:10.1093/plankt/fbh044
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
26/4/433    most recent
fbh044v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ragni, M.
Right arrow Articles by Ribera D’Alcalà, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Ragni, M.
Right arrow Articles by Ribera D’Alcalà, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Plankton Research Vol. 26 No. 4 © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved

Light as an information carrier underwater

Maria Ragni* and Maurizio Ribera D’Alcalà

Stazione Zoologica ‘A. Dohrn’, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy

* Corresponding Author: ragni{at}szn.it

Light is a source of both energy and information for the biota. The spatial, temporal and spectral variability of light experienced by marine phytoplankton differs significantly from that experienced by terrestrial plants, due to the selective attenuation of solar irradiance in the aquatic medium. In the present study we analysed such variability and focused, in particular, on those bands within the spectrum that may act as potential signals for physiological responses. Our results demonstrate that the spectral variation of the light field carries information on the time of day, the vertical position and the presence of very close neighbours, also underwater. This is consistent with the recent findings of a widespread occurrence of photoreceptors in marine algae. We show also that red photoreceptors, whose presence in marine algae was difficult to reconcile with the strong attenuation of long wavelengths by water, may be triggered at depth by the red light generated by transpectral processes.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USAHome page
A. Losi and W. Gartner
Shedding (blue) light on algal gene expression
PNAS, January 8, 2008; 105(1): 7 - 8.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
M. Ragni and M. R. d'Alcala
Circadian variability in the photobiology of Phaeodactylum tricornutum: pigment content
J. Plankton Res., February 1, 2007; 29(2): 141 - 156.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ScienceHome page
E. V. Armbrust, J. A. Berges, C. Bowler, B. R. Green, D. Martinez, N. H. Putnam, S. Zhou, A. E. Allen, K. E. Apt, M. Bechner, et al.
The Genome of the Diatom Thalassiosira Pseudonana: Ecology, Evolution, and Metabolism
Science, October 1, 2004; 306(5693): 79 - 86.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.