Photosynthetic Parameters of Phytoplankton and Primary Production in Coastal Waters of the Black Sea: Seasonal Features

D. V. Kalmykova, T. Ya. Churilova, T. V. Efimova*, N. A. Moiseeva, E. Yu. Skorokhod

A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, Sevastopol, Russia

* e-mail: tefimova@ibss-ras.ru

Abstract

This paper studies seasonal variability of phytoplankton photosynthetic parameters in the Black Sea coastal waters near the Crimean Peninsula. Primary production was estimated using a full spectral approach that took into account phytoplankton spectral light absorption coefficient, spectral downwelling irradiance and quantum yield of photosynthesis. In the coastal waters near the village of Katsiveli, the annual dynamics of chlorophyll a concentration was characterized by maximal values in winter and minimal (half as many) in summer, while in the waters near Sevastopol, the maximum was recorded in early October and March, which is likely due to the “bloom” of phytoplankton. High annual variability of both the phytoplankton spectrally weighted chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficient (~ 3 times) and maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (~ 7 times) was noted, with maximal values in summer and winter, respectively. In the vertical profile, the minimal values of the quantum yield were observed in the sea surface layer associated with the high photosynthetically active radiation incident on the sea surface. The variability in photosynthetic parameters, caused by phytoplankton adaptation to changing environmental factors, resulted in a strong annual variability of primary production, which varied ~ 8-fold over the study period. The obtained patterns of variability of the basic photosynthetic parameters of phytoplankton (the ability to absorb light quanta and use them in photochemical reactions) are necessary for understanding the mechanism of formation of primary production in the studied water region.

Keywords

chlorophyll a, quantum yield of photosynthesis, light absorption, photosynthetically available radiation, spectral downwelling irradiance

Acknowledgments

We thank E. A. Zemlyanskaya for her efficient contribution to the sample treatments and E. А. Khvalkov for assistance with translation. The present study was carried out within the framework of state assignment no. 124030100106-2 “Study of regional bio-optical properties for development of satellite algorithm for assessment of multi-scale variability of primary production characteristics of pelagic ecosystems”.

About the authors

Daria V. Kalmykova, Junior Researcher, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2, Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Marine Bio-optics, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3097-9913, Scopus Author ID: 58688288100, daria-k.kalmykova@ibss-ras.ru

Tanya Ya. Churilova, Senior Researcher, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2, Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Marine Bio-optics, PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0045-7284, Scopus Author ID: 6603622802, ResearcherID: O-8437-2016, tanya.churilova@ibss-ras.ru

Tatiana V. Efimova, Senior Researcher, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2, Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), Head of Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Marine Bio-optics, PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3908-4160, Scopus Author ID: 57194423783, ResearcherID: X-1355-2019, tefimova@ibss-ras.ru

Nataliia A. Moiseeva, Researcher, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2, Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Marine Bio-optics, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1356-7981, moiseeva@ibss-ras.ru

Elena Yu. Skorokhod, Researcher, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2, Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Marine Bio-optics, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3057-3964, elenaskorokhod@ibss-ras.ru

For citation

Kalmykova, D.V., Churilova, T.Ya., Efimova, T.V., Moiseeva, N.A. and Skorokhod, E.Yu., 2026. Photosynthetic Parameters of Phytoplankton and Primary Production in Coastal Waters of the Black Sea: Seasonal Features. Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea, (2), pp. 124–144.

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