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Chlorophyll a in the lower Cape Fear Estuary. Leilani McMillan The University of North Carolina at Wilmington November 29, 2010. Chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll Green pigment common to photosynthetic cells Absorbs all wavelengths of visible light, except green Three types: a, b, c - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Chlorophyll a in the lowerCape Fear Estuary
Leilani McMillanThe University of North Carolina at Wilmington
November 29, 2010
Chlorophyll a• Chlorophyll
– Green pigment common to photosynthetic cells
– Absorbs all wavelengths of visible light, except green
– Three types: a, b, c• Chlorophyll a
– Photosynthetic pigment present in chloroplast
– R=CH3
– Complex arrangement of alternating single and double bonds in the porphyrin ring are optimal for absorbing light
Chlorophyll a
• Absorbs energy around wavelengths 430nm and 662nm
• While accessory pigments, absorb what chlorophyll a does not
Why measure chlorophyll a
• “Estimate” the spatial and temporal variability of planktonic biomass
• Only an “estimate” since abundance of chlorophyll a per cell varies
• Taxonomic distinction is based on distribution between different pigments
• Different pigments help identify types of algae present in sample
How to measure chlorophyll a
• Fluorescence– Sensitive, cheap, not affected by turbidity– Must use standards, less precise, noisier background
• Absorbance– No standards, all chlorophyll concentrations– Turbidity interference, slower
• Chlorophyll fluoresces around 665nm, excites around 440nm
How to measure chlorophyll a• Obtain water
samples• Samples were
then filtered• Frozen until
further analysis• Soaked in
acetone for 24 hours
• Fluorescence
Chlorophyll a
M18 M23 M35 M42 M54 M61 HB0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Cruise 2 (2010)
SurfaceDeep
Station
Chl a
(µg/
L)
M18 M23 M35 M42 M54 M61 HB0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Cruise 1 (2010)
SurfaceDeep
Station
Chl a
(µg/
L)
Chlorophyll a Surface
M18 M23 M35 M42 M54 M61 HB0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Surface (2010)
SeptemberNovember
Station
Chl a
(µg/
L)
Chlorophyll a Deep
M18 M23 M35 M42 M54 M61 HB0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Deep (2010)
SeptemberNovember
Station
Chl a
(µg/
L)
• Comparing 2010 results to class average over the past 5 years• Increase of Chl a
surface on cruise 1, but decrease on cruise 2
• Increase of Chl a deep on both cruise 1 and 2
Other affects of chlorophyll a in the Cape Fear?
• Light attenuation (Kd)
• Salinity
• Turbidity
• DOC
Light Attenuation• Chlorophyll
concentration higher when Kd was low
• Kd increases, chlorophyll concentration decreases
• Higher Kd value, less light, low chlorophyll concentration
• Cruise 1 exhibited higher concentrations of chlorophyll
Light Attenuation• Chlorophyll decreases
as Kd value increases
• Less light available for photosynthesis
Salinity• Salinity has little
significance on chlorophyll concentration• Linear correlation• Salinity increase,
chlorophyll concentration increased
Turbidity• Turbidity has little
effect on the chlorophyll a concentration
• Increase in turbidity, there is a decrease in chlorophyll a concentration
Turbidity• Cruise 1
• Turbidity increases, resulting in a decrease in chl a
• Cruise 2• Little effect with
presence of turbidity
DOC• Presence in surface
water samples causes decrease in chlorophyll concentration
DOC• The presence of DOC
on cruise one seems to be affect Chl a concentration• DOC increase led
to a decline in Chl a • Cruise two had no
significant effects from DOC
Conclusion
• Chlorophyll concentration was much higher in September compared to November
• More light available results in production of chlorophyll
• Increase in chlorophyll due to clearer water, when there was an increase in salinity
• Presence of turbidity and DOC, tends to reduce chlorophyll concentration
References
• Dr. Robert Kieber lecture notes• http://
www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html (accessed on November 22, 2010)