Wavelength-dependent effects of artificial light at night on phytoplankton growth and community structure
Diamantopoulou, C.; Christoforou, E.; Dominoni, D.M.; Kaiserli, E.; Czyzewski, J.; Mirzai, N.; Spatharis, S. (2021). Wavelength-dependent effects of artificial light at night on phytoplankton growth and community structure. Proc. - Royal Soc., Biol. Sci. 288(1953): 20210525. https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0525
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. The Royal Society: London. ISSN 0962-8452; e-ISSN 1471-2954, more
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| Keywords |
Light pollution
Skeletonema R.K. Greville, 1865 [WoRMS]; Tetraselmis suecica (Kylin) Butcher, 1959 [WoRMS]
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| Author keywords |
phytoplankton diversity, artificial light at night, harmful algal blooms, Tetraselmis suesica, Skeletonema sp. |
| Authors | | Top |
- Diamantopoulou, C.
- Christoforou, E.
- Dominoni, D.M.
- Kaiserli, E.
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- Czyzewski, J.
- Mirzai, N.
- Spatharis, S.
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| Abstract |
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a disruptive form of pollution, impacting physiological and behavioural processes that may scale up to population and community levels. Evidence from terrestrial habitats show that the severity and type of impact depend on the wavelength and intensity of ALAN; however, research on marine organisms is still limited. Here, we experimentally investigated the effect of different ALAN colours on marine primary producers. We tested the effect of green (525 nm), red (624 nm) and broad-spectrum white LED ALAN, compared to a dark control, on the green microalgae Tetraselmis suesica and a diatom assemblage. We show that green ALAN boosted chlorophyll production and abundance in T. suesica. All ALAN wavelengths affected assemblage biomass and diversity, with red and green ALAN having the strongest effects, leading to higher overall abundance and selective dominance of specific diatom species, some known to cause harmful algal blooms. Our findings show that green and red ALAN should be used with caution as alternative LED colours in coastal areas, where there might be a need to strike a balance between the effects of green and red light on marine primary producers with the benefit they appear to bring to other organisms. |
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