from Part III - The Future
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2024
Solar radiation at the Earth’s surface contains ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the UVB (~295–315 nm) and UVA (315–400 nm) wavebands. Currently, atmospheric ozone removes shorter, more damaging UV radiation and reduces levels of UVB, but before the formation of the ozone layer, UV radiation levels would have been higher, while the recent ‘ozone hole’ increased UV radiation. UV radiation is strongly attenuated in water, but aquatic organisms can be damaged to extents that depend on the species and conditions. The targets of damage include proteins in the photosystems of photosynthesis, DNA and oxidative damage caused by the production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Defence against damage involves the production of new proteins, repair to the DNA and the production of antioxidants. UV stress interacts, positively and negatively, with other environmental changes such as rising temperature and CO2, ocean acidification and nutrient stress. Further research is needed to forecast responses to future environmental change.
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