Behavioral and physiological photoresponses to light intensity by intertidal microphytobenthos

Behavioral and physiological responses to light are the two major mechanisms by which natural microphytobenthic assemblages adapt to the intertidal environment and protect themselves from light stress. The present study investigated these photoresponses with diff erent light intensities over 8 h of illumination, and used a specific inhibitor(Latrunculin A, Lat A) for migration to compare migratory and non-migratory microphytobenthos(MPB). Photosynthetic activity was detected using rapid light curves and induction curves by chlorophyll fluorescence. It showed distinct variation in migratory responses to diff erent light intensities; high light induced downward migration to avoid photoinhibition, and low and medium light(50–250 μmol/(m~2 ·s)) promoted upward migration followed by downward migration after certain period of light exposure. No significant difference in non-photochemical quenching(NPQ) or PSII maximal quantum yield(F v/F m) was detected between low and medium light irradiance, possibly indicating that only high light influences the photosynthetic capability of MPB. Decreased photosynthetic activity, indicated by three parameters, the maximum relative electron transport rate(r ETR_(max)), minimum saturating irradiance(E _k) and light utilization coefficient(α), was observed in MPB after exposure to prolonged illumination under low and medium light. Lat A ef fectively inhibited the migration of MPB in all light treatments and induced lower F v/F _m under high light(500 and 100 μmol/(m~2 ·s)) and prolonged illumination at 250 μmol/(m~2 ·s), but did not significantly influence F _v/F m under low light(0–100 μmol/(m~2 ·s)) or NPQ. The increase of NPQ in Lat A treatments with time implied that the MPB assemblages can recover their physiological photoprotection capacity to adapt to light stress. Non-migratory MPB exhibited lower light use efficiency(lower α) and lower maximum photosynthetic capacity(lower r ETR_(max)) than migratory MPB under light intensities above 250 μmol/(m ~2 ·s) after 4.0 h illumination.