The Measurement of Seagrass Photosynthesis Using PAM Fluorometry - Absorptance factors

Updated: 2015-03-27

To measure the photosynthetic rate of seagrasses using a Diving-PAM, it is first necessary to determine how much of the light reaching the leaves is absorbed and used in photosynthesis. The absorptance factors of each seagrass species are then used to determine the electron transport rates (ETR) and subsequently the photosynthetic rate. Hence this study determines absorptance factors for Posidonia sinuosa, Posidonia australis and Halophila ovalis, taking into account transmittance, reflectance and non-photosynthetic absorptance of light by the leaves from leaves taken for Woodman Point, WA on 27 May 2004.