Growth, Photosynthesis and Maintenance Metabolic Cost in the Diatom Phaeodactylum Tricornutum at Very Low Light Levels 1

ABSTRACT The compensation point for growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin is less than 1 μmol. m −2 s −1 . Growth at low PFDs (<3.5 μmol. m −2. s −1 ) does not appear to reduce the maximum quantum efficiency of photosynthesis (ø m ) or to greatly inhibit the potential for light‐saturated, carbon‐specific photosynthesis (P m c ). The value for ø m in P. tricornutum is 0.10–0.12 mol O 2 ‐mol photon −1 , independent of acclimation PFD between 0.75 and 200 μmol.m −2 .s −1 in nutrient‐sufficient cultures. P m c in cells of P. tricornutum acclimated to PFDs <3.5 μmol m −2 −s −1 is approximately 50% of the highest value obtained in nutrient‐sufficient cultures acclimated to growth‐rate‐saturating PFDs. In addition, growth at low PFDs does not severely restrict the ability of cells to respond to an increase in light level. Cultures acclimated to growth at lees than 1% of the light‐saturated growth rate respond rapidly to a shift‐up in PFD after a short initial lag period and achieve exponential growth rates of 1.0 d −1 (65% of the light‐ and nutrient‐saturated maximum growth rate) at both 40 and 200 μmol.m −2 .s −1