Fluorescence responses of Mediterranean sea grass Posidonia oceanica: Summer 1997 ATOM-LIFT campaign

摘要

Aquatic vegetation studies were carried out from Tuesday July 15th, 1997 to Tuesday July 22, 1997 in a sea-side aquarium- laboratory in the city of Livorno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The investigations involved an important sea grass species Posidonia oceanica that is the main higher aquatic vegetation found in the Mediterranean Sea. Fluorescence measurements were acquired on the aquatic plants treated with different levels of Mercury and Cadmium heavy metal contamination. The measurements included steady state fluorescence and fluorescence induction kinetics, pigment extraction, and photosynthetic gas exchange rates. Fluorescence instrumentation used for the studies included the high spectral resolution fluorescence lidar System (FLIDAR$CPY@), the NASA/USDA Fluorescence Imaging System (FIS), and Perkin Elmer Spectrofluorometer. Fluorescence responses showed a significant variations within the leaf as a function location from the base. Heavy metal treatments resulted in distinguishable differences in fluorescence responses.