Effects of Environmental Factors on the Physiology of two Species of Freshwater Cyanobacteria

Continued depletion of ozone in the lower stratosphere allows more UVR, specifically UVB, to reach the Earth’s surface. As the increased temperature is believed to favour cyanobacteria in general and with future climate change predicting the rise of surface water temperature, it is important to study the interactive effects of these environmental factors on cyanobacterial growth and physiology. An observed increased repair rate of photosynthetic characteristics with increased temperature suggests an improved ability of cyanobacteria to overcome the UV induced damage. However, there were also intra-strain variations in terms of survival and recovery at different temperatures and UVB interactions. Future studies should include more species/strains of cyanobacteria and other environmental factors.