Contrasting effects of high-intensity photosynthetically active radiation on two bloom-forming dinoflagellates

While light limitation can inhibit bloom formation in dinoflagellates, the potential for high-intensity photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) to inhibit blooms by causing stress or damage has not been well-studied. We measured the effects of high-intensity PAR on the bloom-forming dinoflagellates Alexandrium fundyense and Heterocapsa rotundata. Various physiological parameters (photosynthetic efficiency F-v/F-m, cell permeability, dimethylsulfoniopropionate [DMSP], cell volume, and chlorophyll-a content) were measured before and after exposure to high-intensity natural sunlight in short-term light stress experiments. In addition, photosynthesis-irradiance (P-E) responses were compared for cells grown at different light levels to assess the capacity for photophysiological acclimation in each species. Experiments revealed distinct species-specific responses to high PAR. While high light decreased F-v/F-m in both species, A. fundyense showed little additional evidence of light stress in short-term experiments, although increased membrane permeability and intracellular DMSP indicated a response to handling. P-E responses further indicated a high light-adapted species with Chl-a inversely proportional to growth irradiance and no evidence of photoinhibition; reduced maximum per-cell photosynthesis rates suggest a trade-off between photoprotection and C fixation in high light-acclimated cells. Heterocapsa rotundata cells, in contrast, swelled in response to high light and sometimes lysed in short-term experiments, releasing DMSP. P-E responses confirmed a low light-adapted species with high photosynthetic efficiencies associated with trade-offs in the form of substantial photoinhibition and a lack of plasticity in Chl-a content. These contrasting responses illustrate that high light constrains dinoflagellate community composition through species-specific stress effects, with consequences for bloom formation and ecological interactions within the plankton.