New Phyto-Incubator with Temperature and Illumination Adjustment for Water Ecosystems’ Ecological Parameters Monitoring

Abstract

During sea ecological expeditions at determination of organic substance formation speed in the course of photosynthesis (sizes of primary production) researchers face need related to creation of special conditions for an exposition of containing the phytoplankton water samples which have been selected at different stations and depths, widely spaced and with different temperature and illumination values. Now for primary production measurement in all marine ecosystems’ photosynthesis zone which has an extent equal to several tens of meters, the standard methods for incubation of containing the phytoplankton water samples in the conditions of constant temperatures and illumination, considerably different from those horizons, where the studied samples were taken, are used. Such a technique based on the water samples incubation at artificial lighting in controlled temperature conditions has been accepted as the main one in the international ecological and monitoring programs (HELCOM, SCOR, etc.). Discrepancy of light and temperature conditions in a sample selection point and in the experiment can lead to distortions at a primary production assessment and light dependences determination. Primary production sizes’ correct determination at photosynthesis zone’s different depths with different temperature and illumination values demands creation of the most approached to the natural conditions for the exposition of containing the phytoplankton water samples. A new phyto-incubator for the water sample incubation at the primary production measurement is described in this paper. The phyto-incubator consists of light and thermo isolated cells with a system of temperature and illumination individual adjustment in each of the cells. The incubation of different samples containing the phytoplankton is carried out in various stabilized conditions on temperature and illumination by a constant light stream, established for each cell separately. Illumination and temperature values can be choose as any of the set range of sizes. Such installation allows to set a "grid" of parameters on temperature and illumination, on exhibiting duration, and to receive predictive estimates for primary production at the change of external conditions. Invention patent No. 2547685 "Incubator and Approach for Water Samples Incubation" has been obtained on the developed incubator. This phyto-incubator type can be also used for various ecological experiments with natural populations of plankton organisms in laboratory conditions.