Photosynthetica 1999, 36(11):71 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1007070913866

Perpetual Adaptation in a Perpetually Changing Environment as a Survival Strategy of Plants: A Case Study in Foraminifers Concerning Coral Reef Bleaching

R.J. Strasser1, M. Tsimilli-Michael1, M. Pecheux1
1 Bioenergetics Laboratory, University of Geneva, Jussy-Geneva, Switzerland

Coral reef bleaching is a global phenomenon poorly understood today. We investigated during 7 d the photosynthetic behaviour of symbionts of coral reef and temperate foraminifers in hospite, by means of the JIP-test. By this screening test the fast fluorescence rise O-J-I-P, measured by a Plant Efficiency Analyser (PEA) with 10 µs time resolution and 12 bit signal resolution, was analysed. It informs about the structure and function of photosystem 2 being at different physiological states established by adaptation to different irradiance and temperature. The test needs a measuring time in vivo of only 1 to 5 s, and thus many samples can be analysed. The measurements can be done continuously even on a single cell in a test tube or on the reef. The reef foraminifers tested here were Amphistegina and Amphisorus, freshly collected in Mauritius. As a temperate foraminifer, Sorites from the Mediterranean Sea was tested. The cells are very sensitive to slight temperature changes (25 to 32 °C). The comparison showed that the more the foraminifers live in an environment with constant temperature the less they are able to respond to temperature changes and, thus, the less they can adapt. Rising the temperature increases in general the sensitivity to different stress factors, such as high irradiance, pH, CO2, etc. After the test series, the cells recovered fully and were kept in an aquarium for long time observation.

Additional key words: Amphisorus; Amphistegina; chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics; electron transport; irradiance; photosynthesis; photosystem 2; quantum yield; Sorites; temperature

Published: July 1, 1999  Show citation

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Strasser, R.J., Tsimilli-Michael, M., & Pecheux, M. (1999). Perpetual Adaptation in a Perpetually Changing Environment as a Survival Strategy of Plants: A Case Study in Foraminifers Concerning Coral Reef Bleaching. Photosynthetica, 37(1), 71. doi: 10.1023/A:1007070913866
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