Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a (Fv/Fm), measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometers, is an attractive target for phytoplankton-related water quality management. Lowered Fv/Fm is believed to reflect the magnitude of nutrient sufficiency or deficiency in phytoplankton. This rapid and specific metric is relevant to Lake Erie, which often experiences problematic Cyanobacteria blooms. It is unknown whether PAMs reliably measure phytoplankton nutrient status or if different PAMs provide comparable results. Water samples collected from Lake Erie and two Lake Ontario sites in July and September 2011 were analysed using alkaline phosphatase assay (APA), P-debt, and N-debt to quantify phytoplankton nutrient status and with three different PAM models (PhytoPAM, WaterPAM and DivingPAM) to determine Fv/Fm. The Lake Ontario, Lake Erie East and Central Basin sites were all N- and P-deficient in July, but only the East and Central Basin and one Lake Ontario site were P-deficient in September. The West Basin sites were P-deficient in July and one West Basin site and a river site were N-deficient in September. Between-instrument Fv/Fm comparisons did not show the expected 1:1 relationship. Fv/Fm from the PhytoPAM and WaterPAM were well-correlated with each other but not with nutrient deficiency. DivingPAM Fv/Fm did not correlate with the other PAM models, but correlated with P-deficiency. Spectral PAM fluorometers (PhytoPAM) can potentially resolve Fv/Fm down to phytoplankton group by additionally measuring accessory pigment fluorescence. The nutrient-induced fluorescent transient (NIFT) is the observation that Fv/Fm drops immediately and recovers when the limiting nutrient is reintroduced to nutrient-starved phytoplankton. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted on a 2x2 factorial mixture design of P-deficient and P-sufficient Asterionella formosa and Microcystis aeruginosa cultures. Patterns consistent with published reports of NIFT were observed for P-deficient M. aeruginosa in mixtures; the pattern for A. formosa was less clear. This thesis showed that Fv/Fm by itself was not a reliable metric of N or P deficiency and care must be taken when interpreting results obtained by different PAM fluorometers. NIFT analysis using spectral PAM fluorometers may be able to discriminate P-deficiency in M. aeruginosa, and possibly other Cyanobacteria, in mixed communities.

Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a (Fv/Fm), measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometers, is an attractive target for phytoplankton-related water quality management. Lowered Fv/Fm is believed to reflect the magnitude of nutrient sufficiency or deficiency in phytoplankton. This rapid and specific metric is relevant to Lake Erie, which often experiences problematic Cyanobacteria blooms. It is unknown whether PAMs reliably measure phytoplankton nutrient status or if different PAMs provide comparable results. Water samples collected from Lake Erie and two Lake Ontario sites in July and September 2011 were analysed using alkaline phosphatase assay (APA), P-debt, and N-debt to quantify phytoplankton nutrient status and with three different PAM models (PhytoPAM, WaterPAM and DivingPAM) to determine Fv/Fm. The Lake Ontario, Lake Erie East and Central Basin sites were all N- and P-deficient in July, but only the East and Central Basin and one Lake Ontario site were P-deficient in September. The West Basin sites were P-deficient in July and one West Basin site and a river site were N-deficient in September. Between-instrument Fv/Fm comparisons did not show the expected 1:1 relationship. Fv/Fm from the PhytoPAM and WaterPAM were well-correlated with each other but not with nutrient deficiency. DivingPAM Fv/Fm did not correlate with the other PAM models, but correlated with P-deficiency. Spectral PAM fluorometers (PhytoPAM) can potentially resolve Fv/Fm down to phytoplankton group by additionally measuring accessory pigment fluorescence. The nutrient-induced fluorescent transient (NIFT) is the observation that Fv/Fm drops immediately and recovers when the limiting nutrient is reintroduced to nutrient-starved phytoplankton. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted on a 2x2 factorial mixture design of P-deficient and P-sufficient Asterionella formosa and Microcystis aeruginosa cultures. Patterns consistent with published reports of NIFT were observed for P-deficient M. aeruginosa in mixtures; the pattern for A. formosa was less clear. This thesis showed that Fv/Fm by itself was not a reliable metric of N or P deficiency and care must be taken when interpreting results obtained by different PAM fluorometers. NIFT analysis using spectral PAM fluorometers may be able to discriminate P-deficiency in M. aeruginosa, and possibly other Cyanobacteria, in mixed communities.

A importância de estudos sobre a produção primária (PP) marinha é consenso devido ao seu papel no ciclo do carbono global. Técnicas rápidas e não invasivas para medição de taxas de PP foram desenvolvidas nas últimas décadas para melhorar a resolução espacial e temporal das aquisições de dados, além de suprir as desvantagens e lacunas deixadas pelos métodos clássicos que envolvem a incubação de amostras. Os objetivos deste trabalho são: (1) comparar duas técnicas mais novas, a Bio-óptica (PPabs) e a Fluorescência Ativa Variável (PPFire), com o método clássico de evolução de oxigênio pelo metabolismo da comunidade planctônica que estima a PP bruta (PPB), (2) e determinar a influência de variáveis oceanográficas e como elas podem predizer a PP no canal de São Sebastião ao longo de diferentes períodos amostrais (verões de 2014, 2016 e 2018, inverno de 2014 e primavera de 2015). A PPB variou entre 47,55 e 341,94 mg C m-3 d-1, a PPabs entre 73,7 &#177; 6,9 e 454,9 &#177; 25,8 mg C m-3 d-1 e a PPFire entre 9,0 e 57,8 mg C m-3 d-1 no verão de 2018. As relações entre os métodos foram significativas (PPB vs PPabs, p = 0,007, PPB vs PPFire, p = 0,01 e PPabs vs PPFire, p = 0,01). A partir de uma regressão linear múltipla, vimos que a PPB (p = 0,003) e PPFire (p < 0,001) foram previstas pela temperatura e pela concentração da clorofila-a, já a PPabs (p = 0,007) pelas duas variáveis adicionadas a salinidade. Esses resultados indicam que apesar dos métodos apresentarem magnitudes diferentes, informações adicionais sobre o ambiente são incorporadas por cada técnica. A PPB acrescenta informações quanto a comunidade planctônica como um todo, a PPabs sobre a composição pigmentar e de tamanhos de espécies e a PPFire sobre a fotofisiologia das células fitoplanctônicas. Quanto às condições oceanográficas, as relações com a temperatura e a salinidade indicam que os métodos são sensíveis a alteração de massas d\'água, como a Água Central do Atlântico Sul (ACAS), bem como a entrada de aporte continental por plumas de rios, que são responsáveis pela disponibilidade de luz e nutrientes que afetam a PP no canal. Concluindo, os métodos são complementares e podem variar de diferentes formas conforme a dinâmica local, no entanto, são significativamente proporcionais uns aos outros, o que indica a robustez entre as medidas das duas técnicas mais novas aqui comparadas. / There is a consensus of the importance of primary production (PP) studies due to its role on the global carbon cycle. Fast and non-invasive techniques to measure rates of PP were developed in the last few decades to improve temporal and spatial data acquisition, and to overcome disadvantages and gaps associated with classical methods using incubation of samples. The aim of this work are: (1) compare two newer techniques, Bio-optical (PPabs) and Active Variable Fluorescence (PPFire), to the classical method involving oxygen evolution by the planktonic community metabolism (PPB), and (2) determine the influence of oceanographic variables and investigate how they could predict PP in the São Sebastião channel. PPB varied between 47.55 and 341.94 mg C m-3 d-1, PPabs between 73.7 &#177; 6.9 and 454.9 &#177; 25.8 mg C m-3 d-1 and PPFire between 9.0 and 57.8 mg C m-3 d-1 in the summer of 2018. The relationships between methods were significant (PPB vs PPabs, p = 0.007, PPB vs PPFire, p = 0.01 and PPabs vs PPFire, p = 0.01). After a multiple linear regression test, we found that PPB (p = 0.003) and PPFire (p < 0.001) were predicted by temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration, however, PPabs (p = 0.007) was also predicted by salinity. These results indicate that despite the methods show different magnitudes, each one includes different information about the environment. The PPB adds overall information about the planktonic community, while the PPabs adds pigment composition and species size and the PPFire adds phytoplankton cell photophysiology. We found correlations with the different PPs and temperature and salinity indicating that the three methods are sensitive to water mass changes, as the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) and the intrusion of river plumes in the channel, both responsible for light and nutrients availability. In conclusion, the three methods are complementary and could vary in different ways due to local dynamics. However, they are proportional to each other, showing strength to the use of the two newest techniques (PPabs and PPFire).