Wavelength-dependent effects of artificial light at night on phytoplankton growth and community structure

Jun 23, 2021Proceedings. Biological sciences

How different colors of artificial light at night affect phytoplankton growth and communities

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Abstract

Green artificial light at night significantly boosted chlorophyll production and abundance in marine microalgae.

Different wavelengths of artificial light at night (ALAN) impact marine primary producers variably.
Green (525 nm) and red (624 nm) ALAN caused the strongest effects on biomass and diversity of marine algae.
All tested ALAN wavelengths influenced the overall abundance of algal assemblages.
Specific diatom species became more dominant under red and green ALAN, including some associated with harmful algal blooms.
Caution is advised in using green and red ALAN in coastal areas due to their potential ecological impacts.

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Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a disruptive form of pollution, impacting physiological and behavioural processes that may scale up to population and community levels. Evidence from terrestrial habitats show that the severity and type of impact depend on the wavelength and intensity of ALAN; however, research on marine organisms is still limited. Here, we experimentally investigated the effect of different ALAN colours on marine primary producers. We tested the effect of green (525 nm), red (624 nm) and broad-spectrum white LED ALAN, compared to a dark control, on the green microalgaeand a diatom assemblage. We show that green ALAN boosted chlorophyll production and abundance in. All ALAN wavelengths affected assemblage biomass and diversity, with red and green ALAN having the strongest effects, leading to higher overall abundance and selective dominance of specific diatom species, some known to cause harmful algal blooms. Our findings show that green and red ALAN should be used with caution as alternative LED colours in coastal areas, where there might be a need to strike a balance between the effects of green and red light on marine primary producers with the benefit they appear to bring to other organisms. Tetraselmis suesica T. suesica

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Wavelength-dependent effects of artificial light at night on phytoplankton growth and community structure

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