Physiological responses of natural plankton communities to ultraviolet-B radiation in Redberry Lake (Saskatchewan, Canada)

Abstract

Damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation on the aquatic biota, related to anthropogenic modifications in the ozone layer, have been extensively described. However, most of the research has focused on marine environments, and information about the effects of ultraviolet radiation on saline prairie lakes of Canada is lacking. To test the deleterious effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on the planktonic community, two exposure experiments were performed in Redberry Lake, Saskatchewan. The responses of primary productivity, phytoplankton chlorophyll a and size, bacterial changes, and the electron transport system to natural UV-B fluxes reaching the surface of the lake were studied. No clear effects of UV-B on phytoplankton carbon assimilation and chlorophyll a were observed. However, significant responses were found for the two phytoplankton size fractions studied (0.7-2 and >2 µm), which were more related to the experimental conditions than to UV-B effects. Bacteria presented a clear decrease in cell number under the highest UV-B doses, whereas the opposite was observed for the electron transport system activity.