Some Arctic microalgae can photosynthesize in extremely low light conditions (one hundred thousandth of the daily light). The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Communication.
Plants use energy from sunlight to produce sugars and other organic substances. This process is called photosynthesis. According to the findings of scientists from the MOSAiC project, Arctic microalgae can photosynthesize a few days after the end of the polar night, at the end of March. At this time, the Sun barely rises above the horizon, so there is almost no light in the Arctic Ocean, as shown by light sensors in the ice and water. At the same time, only one hundred thousandth of the light passes through the ice into the water per day.
The results of the published study are significant for the entire planet. It is likely that other dark areas of the ocean have enough light to produce useful energy and oxygen for fish. The photosynthetic environment in the world’s oceans may be much larger than previously thought.
“Although our results are specific to the Arctic Ocean, they show what photosynthesis can do. If it’s so effective in the harsh conditions of the Arctic, we can assume that organisms in other parts of the oceans are also well adapted,” the scientists said.
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Source: Gazeta
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