Quantifying the short-term temperature effect on light-saturated photosynthesis of intertidal microphytobenthos

A mathematical expression is proposed to describe the relationship between the photosynthetic capacity (P-max) of natural assemblages of motile benthic diatoms and temperature. Experiments were performed in 2 different seasons to document the response of P-max to a rapid increase in temperature (3 degrees C h(-1)). In both cases, there was a progressive increase in P-max up to an optimum temperature (T-opt), beyond which P-max declined rapidly. T-opt did not change from September to December 1995, but the maximum photosynthetic capacity (P-MAX, i.e. P-max at T-opt) was twice as high in September as in December.