Laboratory and field measurements of aquatic productivity made by a minicomputer employing a dual oxygen electrode system

Abstract

Rates of change in oxygen concentration can be measured in the laboratory and in natural waters by using a measuring system consisting of two independent oxygen electrodes sending readings to a minicomputer ten times per second. Laboratory and experimental measurements were made under the control of the minicomputer, and differ from those made using standard approaches in two regards. First, the computer removes some of the statistical fluctuation in the data by selectively saving readings only when both electrode readings have changed in the same direction. Second, the computer alters the frequency at which data points are collected during the experiment. A predetermined number of data point pairs consisting of oxygen concentration values and time are collected by the computer. A linear regression analysis is conducted and the values of slope, intercept, sums of squares, and linear correlation coefficient are calculated and printed out. Next, the average of the absolute displacement of the data points about the regression line is calculated. Using the previously acquired value of slope, the computer calculates the length of time required for the change in oxygen concentration to be twice the average dispersion of data points about the regression line. This length of time over which n data points are to be collected is divided by (n-l) to give the waiting period between the samplings in the next round of data acquisition and linear regression. By employing a minicomputer to dynamically alter the experimental sampling frequency and to select the data points to be retained for the subsequent linear regression, it is possible to routinely obtain respiration rate estimates smaller than 20 μM (O2) h-1 with associated linear correlation coefficients exceeding 0.97. This system has enabled us to measure the rates of oxygen production and consumption in nearshore water samples using light/dark incubations. On 24 March 1981, it was found that following the influex of the kelp Ecklonia radiata (C. Ag.) J. Agardh to nearshore waters off Perth, Western Australia, the rates of oxygen evolution and consumption by the particulate fraction (nominal diam<124 μm) increase exponentially for the first 10 h. Subsequently, the rate of change of oxygen in the light decreases to the same negative value as that measured in the dark incubation. This time-varying dark respiration rate, if analyzed as an exponential function, has a doubling time of 8.2 h, a value consistent with bacterial growth rates at the ambient water temperatures (19° to 20°C).