#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. As studies have shown, microalgae in the Arctic ocean, at a depth of up to 50 meters, are capable of photosynthesis in conditions of almost complete darkness, writes the GoArctic portal.
Unlike most plants, which lose color and die in the dark, these tiny diatoms (experts studied the photosynthesis of Nitzschia and Navicula species) began the process of photosynthesis at the end of March – just a few days after the end of the long polar night, when the sun barely appeared on the horizon, and the sea surface was still under ice, almost not letting in sunlight.
Scientists clarified that plants usually need certain conditions for photosynthesis, and most of them occur in the euphotic zone, where the sun’s rays reach the surface of the water. Illumination similar to a clear day in Europe exceeds the light conditions for these Arctic algae by 37-50 thousand times. Comparison with previous studies showed that the illumination threshold required for photosynthesis has decreased four times, while the range available for this process has increased from 23 to 54 meters.
Experts believe that this discovery will improve the understanding of the survival of micro plants in conditions of insufficient light and can help in agriculture and even in space missions.
Earlier, This Is Taimyr Telegraph reported that scientists are studying the adaptation of Arctic plants to cold conditions.
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Text: Polina Bardik, Photo: editorial archive
