New method provides first evidence of fine-scale in situ heterogeneity in glacier algal photophysiology
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Streptophyte “glacier algae” thrive on the melting surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, producing conspicuous blooms during summer ablation seasons. To-date, the direct application of pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry to measure the in situ responses of glacier algae to their environment has been prevented by the high ambient light environment, causing over-saturation of fibre- and imaging-PAM systems. The use of cuvette-based systems has also relied upon bulk sampling and prolonged melting of surface ice, reducing or removing the short-term light history of glacier algae prior to measurements. Here, we outline a simple method that allows the rapid liberation of glacier algal cells into suspension for the measurement of their photophysiology using the sensitive Walz Water-PAM cuvette system, moving from ice to measurement with only a 5-min dark-adaptation period. We illustrate the effectiveness of our method by performing rapid light curves (RLCs) on glacier algae from naturally shaded versus fully exposed ice surfaces on the Greenland Ice Sheet and contrast this with typical 24 h melt/dark-adapt approaches employed to-date. Results highlight that fine-scale heterogeneity is apparent in glacier algal in situ photophysiology relative to dominant environmental forcings, with our method effective at constraining the near actual photochemistry of glacier algae as opposed to their more optimal photochemistry measured previously. Easy to implement on the ice, our method should allow future mapping of the fine-scale patterning in glacier algal responses to surface ice stressors.
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PAM fluorometers such as the Walz WATER-PAM and MINI-PAM-II measure variability of chlorophyll fluorescence in response to light of different intensities, enabling assessment of PSII efficiency and microalgae response to environmental stress.
“Similar opportunities are offered by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometers such as the Walz WATER-PAM and the MINI-PAM-II, which measure the variability of chlorophyll fluorescence in response to light of different intensities, enabling the assessment of PSII efficiency and microalgae response to environmental stress [211].”
From Multi-Sensing Monitoring of the Microalgae Biomass Cultivation Systems for Biofuels and Added Value Products Synthesis—Challenges and Opportunities (2025) · cites this paper as [211]
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
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Dębowski, M., Kazimierowicz, J., & Zieliński, M. (2025) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app15137324 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Williamson, C. J., Anesio, A. M. B., Benning, L. G., & Tranter, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Aarhus University
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (DE)
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Williamson, Christopher J.
- Venue
- European Journal of Phycology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2025-01-02
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 35-42
- ISSN
- 0967-0262 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-4433
- OpenAlex
- W4407881413
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 1.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- European Journal of Phycology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Universitätsbibliothek der FU Berlin Hochschulschriftenstelle u. Dokumentenserver (cc-by)
- Funders
- National Environmental Research Council “CASP-ICE” (NE/Y002636/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Polar Research and Ecology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Cryospheric studies and observations
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Keywords
- rapid light curves, Greenland ice sheet, algal blooms, photochemistry
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