Salinity and Temperature Effects on Photosynthesis and Organic Carbon Release Rates by Selected Benthic Macroalgae

摘要

Estuarine benthic macroalgae are excellent producers of new carbonaceous material through their high rates of photosynthesis. Under some circumstances, this organic carbon is liberated into the aquatic environment in dissolved form while the plant is actively photosynthesizing. This project established a protocol for examining the effects of different combinations of salinity, temperature, and emergence/submergence regimes, determined the effects of antibiotics on the photosynthetic rate, and the extent to which these factors effect liberation of organics by selected estuarine benthic macroalgae.