Antagonistic and synergistic responses to solar ultraviolet radiation and increased temperature of phytoplankton from cenotes (sink holes) of the Yucatán Peninsula, México

Abstract

Cenotes (sink holes) are karstic formations characteristic of the Yucatán Peninsula and are the main source of fresh water in the region. Because of their tropical location, they receive high levels of solar radiation and are exposed to high temperatures. However, the effect of these global-change-related variables on phytoplankton in cenotes is unknown. We carried out experiments with phytoplankton communities collected from 2 cenotes differing in their penetration of solar radiation (Leona Vicario [LV]: turbid, Las Mojarras [LM]: clear) to assess the combined effect of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR; 280–400 nm) and increased temperature on their photosystem (PS) II photochemistry. We exposed samples in microcosms to solar radiation (with and without UVR) and 2 temperatures (ambient = 25°C and increased by 3°C) and analyzed photochemical performance over daily cycles. A significant antagonistic interaction between UVR and temperature in LV caused a combined inhibition of the effective photochemical quantum yield (ΦPSII) that was smaller (63%) than the sum of the 2 individual effects of UVR and temperature (116%). In contrast, a significant synergistic interaction between UVR and temperature in LM caused the combined inhibition of ΦPSII (172%) to be higher than the sum of the individual effects of the 2 variables (134%). Differences in the size distribution and taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton communities, with smaller cells in LV than in LM, seem to account for much of the variability in responses to UVR and increased temperature between the 2 communities. Our results suggest that phytoplankton communities from clear cenotes will be more affected by the combined effects of solar UVR and increased temperature that those from turbid cenotes.