A new experimental setup for UV-exposure experiments on phytoplankton

We designed a culture chamber for phytoplankton in which we attempted to imitate natural temperature and lighting conditions as strictly as possible. In this chamber, PAR doses varied from 144 μE/m2/s to 266 μE/m2/s. PAR was generated by 10 TL fluorescent lights, UVR by 4 UV-A and 1 UV-B TL fluorescent light.This combination produced a spectrum comparable to conditions in the field. In this culture chamber, six species of Antarctic phytoplankton were tested for their susceptibility to growth inhibition caused by UV-radiation. In addition, cells were tested for UV-B-induced DNA damage (specifically thymine dimers) by the immunoslot blotting technique. Results indicate that. for several species, UV-B can influence growth rates. In other species, no effect could be found; at least two species failed to grow under these circumstances. Thymine dimer detection proved more difficult than expected. Summarising, this experimental setup has proven a good addition to the equipment of this laboratory.