Chlorophyll a fluorescence in phytoplankton: relationship to photosynthesis and biomass

Abstract

The theoretical and applied aspects of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence are reviewed for aquatic biologists who use fluorescence in estimating standing stocks and photosynthetic activity. The major advantage of using fluorescence is that the measurement is easy to make. However, despite some sound theoretical models describing variable fluorescence there are many environmental factors influencing fluorescence about which little is known. Much more basic research on fluorescence-photosynthesis relationships needs to be done before fluorescence per se can replace current ¹⁴C or O₂ methods for measuring primary productivity.