In situ quantum yield of phytoplankton in a subalpine lake

The percent of light absorbed by algae, estimated from a regressionof attenuation of downwelling photosynthetic photon flux densityon chlorophyll a concentration, was used in conjunction withmeasurements of phytoplankton photosynthesis to estimate quantumyields () of Castle Lake phytoplankton populations during the1980 ice-free season. The maximum values occurred during mid-summerin the deep hypolimnion (<1% of surface photon flux) andwere {small tilde} 78% of the theoretical maximum. However,later in the season (September) the deep-water values decreasedsignificantly to {small tilde}27% of the theoretical maximumin conjunction with a decrease in quantum flux density to thesewaters. The values for epilimnetic phytoplankton populationswere never >15% of the theoretical maximum. The presenceof relatively high concentrations of peridinin and chlorophyllc in the deep-water algae enabled these organisms to absorbthe predominantly green light in this region of the lake which(i) allowed the use of a single extinction value per unit ofchlorophyll (k_c) at all depths when calculating , and (ii) increasedthe of the deep-water algae, relative to those in the near-surfacewaters. These data indicate that the deep-water algae in CastleLake were able to utilize their ambient light field, particularlyin the early summer, and suggest that the deep-chlorophyll layerin this lake is maintained primarily by in situ algal growthrather than sinking and accumulation of organisms from nearsurface waters.