Spectral light measurements in microbenthic phototrophic communities with a fiber‐optic microprobe coupled to a sensitive diode array detector

A diode array detector system for microscale light measurements with fiber-optic microprobes was developed; it measures intensities of 400-900-nm light over >6 orders of magnitude with a spectral resolution of 2-5 nm. Fiber-optic microprobes to measure field radiance or scalar irradiance were coupled to the detector system and used for spectral light measurements in hypersaline microbial mats and in laminated phototrophic communities of coastal sediments. The vertical distribution of major photopigments of microalgae, cyanobacteria, and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria could be identified from extinction maxima in measured radiance spectra at 430-550 nm (Chl a and carotenoids), 620-625 nm (phycocyanin), 675 nm (Chl a), 745-750 nm (BChl c), 800-810 nm, and 860-880 nm (BChl a). Scalar irradiance spectra exhibited a different spectral composition and a higher light intensity at the sediment surface as compared to incident light. IR light thus reached 200% of incident light at the sediment surface. Maximal light penetration was found for IR light, whereas visible light was strongly attenuated in the upper 0-2 mm of the sediment. Measurements of photon scalar irradiance (400-700 nm) were combined with microelectrode measurements of oxygenic photosynthesis in the coastal sediment. With an incident light intensity of 200 muEinst m-2 s-1, photon scalar irradiance reached a maximum of 283 muEinst m-2 s-1 at the sediment surface. The lower boundary of the euphotic zone was 2.2 mm below the surface at a light intensity of 12 muEinst m-2 s-1