Photosynthetic response of the macroalga, Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta), to various N and P levels at different temperatures : Photosynthetic response of the macroalga

Gracilaria lemaneiformis, a commercial red macroalga with multiple uses, was cultivated under different combinations of temperatures (10, 20, and 30°C) and nutrients (seawater and four different levels of enrichment) to determine its photo-physiological response pattern. O2 evolution-based photosynthesis–irradiance (P–I) curves and chlorophyll fluorescence-based polyphasic chlorophyll fluorescence transients (OJIP) curves increased with increasing temperature up to 20–30°C, but were nutrition insensitive. The same responsive patterns were followed by their corresponding derived specific photosynthetic parameters. The high photosynthetic tolerance of G. lemaneiformis to nutrient-loaded stress at a wide range of temperatures, makes it a potential candidate for bioremediating eutrophic mariculture zones.