Mireille Consalvey PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

Table of Contents
Declaration ii
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Abstract I
I General Introduction 2
1.1 General 2
1.2 Light 4
1.2.1. Photosynthetically active radiation 4
1.2.2. Measuring light 5
1.2.3. Light absorption and scattering 7
1.3. Photosynthesis 9
1.3.1. The photosynthesis light reactions 10
1.3.2. The photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle 14
1.3.3. Photosynthesis measurements 14
1.3.4. Effects on photosynthesis 18
1.4. Measuring biomass 21
1.4.1. Pigments 22
1.4.2. Remote sensing 23
1.5. Diatom motility 25
1.5.1. Extracellular polymeric substances 27
1.5.2. The effect of environmental variables on motility 28
1.5.3. Rhythms in motility 29
1.6. Migration 29
1.6.1. Following and recording migration 30
1.6.2. Algae got rhythm? Description of work to date 32
1.6.3. What controls migration? 33
1.6.4. Migration and photosynthesis 35
1.6.5. Migration within the biofilm 36
1.6.6. An evolutionary perspective 36
1.6.7. Concluding remarks on migration 38
1.7. Climate change 39
1.8. Aims of work 39
2 Materials and Methods 40
2.1 Study sites 41
2.1.1. The Eden Estuary 41
2.1.2. The Tay Estuary 41
2.1.3. The Colne Estuary 42
2.1.4. The Tagus Estuary 42
2.2. Sediment sampling 42
2.2.1. Surface scrapes 42
III
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