
%0 Journal Article
%A Paling, EI 
%A McComb, AJ 
%A Pate, JS 
%T Nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) in nonheterocystous cyanobacterial mats from the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia
%J Marine and Freshwater Research
%D 1989/04/01
%V 40
%N 2
%P 147-153
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9890147
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF9890147 
%X Discs punched from non-heterocystous cyanobacterial mats, one containing Microcoleus chthonoplastes, Oscillatoria sp. and Phormidium sp., the other Phorrnidium sp. and Aphanocapsa sp., were incubated for 23 days in artificial sea-water of salinity 0 to 140 g L-1. The chlorophyll a content of both mats increased over this salinity range, with lower increases above 100 g L-1. There was little change in the species composition of mats at salinities 240 g L-1; &#8805; 40 g L-1, mats produced essentially monospecific thalli containing small quantities of the other species. Acetylene reduction ranged from zero at the highest salinity to a maximum of 1100-1500 pmol C2H2 reduced m-2 h-1 at 20-60 g L-1. Maximum fixation rates were two orders of magnitude higher than in situ measurements (8-60, mean 16 pmol C2H2 reduced m-2 h-1). The salinity range observed in the field was 40-60 g L-1, but maximum fixation rates in the field (60 Fmol C2H2 reduced m-2 h-1) were much lower than those observed in the laboratory. 
