Comparative time course of photoacclimation in Hawaiian endemic and invasive species of gracilaria (rhodophyta)

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2012-08
Authors
Hamel, Kenneth Mark
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[Honolulu] : [University of Hawaii at Manoa], [August 2012]
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Abstract
The introduction of exotic marine macroalgae is a problem of increasing international import, and has the potential to have major global impact, especially given the ecosystem engineering and structural potential of many seaweeds. To address problems posed by invasive algae, it is important to not only halt and reverse invasions already in progress but to prevent future introductions. To this end, many potential characteristics of algal invaders have been identified or proposed, with the presumption that identifying these characteristics enable us to arrest the spread of species that possess such traits. Of these, the ability to acclimate to a wide range of irradiances is an understudied aspect of invasive algae research. Photoacclimation is a complex process that can be assessed in a variety of manners and has long held the interest of biologists, although the importance of the process has been inadequately evaluated. The importance of photoacclimation potential in red algae (due mainly to its unique pigment content), in particular, has long been the subject of speculation. It is also one of the few groups of plants that have been the subject of photoacclimation rate studies. Time-course acclimation to irradiance has been a topic of interest among phycologists since at least the late 1970s, but very little work has been done on macrophytes. The variety of experimental approaches, inconsistency in measurement practice and methodology and the lack of consensus on what constitutes 'complete' photoacclimation make comparing published studies of limited value. Although several studies have examined photoacclimation velocity in rhodophytes (Stevens 1992, Carnicas 1999, Beach 2000, Dailer 2006), none have measured the responses of more than one species, and each has used a different method in determining change. The relative importance of photoacclimation both in general, and as applied to invasive species research, can be best assessed by direct comparison of more than one species to another. Hypothesis: Does a rapid photosynthetic response to changes in light intensity give invasive rhodophytes a competitive advantage over non-invasive rhodophytes? HA: Invasive red algae photoacclimate faster than non-invasive red algae.
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M.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2012.
Includes bibliographical references.
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photoacclimation
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Theses for the degree of Master of Science (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Botany.
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