LIGHT-HARVESTING IN BLOOM-FORMING MARINE-PHYTOPLANKTON - SPECIES-SPECIFICITY AND PHOTOACCLIMATION

An overview of the pigment composition and bio-optical characteristics (spectral light absorption and fluorescence properties) in important marine phytoplankton (diatoms, dinoflagellates, prymnesiophytes, prasi nophytes, chlorophytes, euglenophytes, chrysophytes, raphidophytes, cr yptophytes and cyanobacteria) are presented. The species/class-specifi c and photoacclimative characteristics of different pigment groups of phytoplankton are discussed with respect to their pigment composition and their corresponding in vivo bio-optical characteristics. Group-spe cific differences in pigment protein (light harvesting complexes and p hotosystem I and II) composition, abundance and function, together wit h the pac kage effect (intracellular self shading) which are important variables when interpreting bio-optical information, are discussed. A scaling procedure for photosystem II related in vivo fluorescence exc itation spectra is also discussed.