Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems

Penetration of light into aquatic ecosystems is greatly affected by the absorption and scattering processes that take place within the water. Thus within any water body, the intensity and color of the light field changes greatly with depth and this has a marked influence on both the total productivity of, and the kinds of plant that predominate in, the ecosystem. This study presents an integrated and coherent treatment of the key role of light in aquatic ecosystems. It ranges from the physics of light transmission within water, through the biochemistry and physiology of aquatic photosynthesis, to the ecological relationships that depend on the underwater light climate.