This is because giant clams have precise geometries -- dynamic, vertical columns of photosynthetic receptors covered by a thin, light-scattering layer -- that may just make them the most efficient solar energy systems on Earth.
This is because giant clams have precise geometries -- dynamic, vertical columns of photosynthetic receptors covered by a thin, light-scattering layer -- that may just make them the most efficient solar energy systems on Earth. In this case, the researchers looked specifically at the impressive solar energy potential of iridescent giant clams in the shallow waters of Palau in the Western Pacific.
Based on the giant clams' geometry, Sweeney and her colleagues developed a model to calculate quantum efficiency -- the ability to convert photons into electrons. The researchers also factored in fluctuations in sunlight, based on a typical day in the tropics with a sunrise, midday sun intensity, and sunset. The quantum efficiency was 42%.
An intriguing comparison, according to the study, would be northern spruce forests. The researchers said boreal spruce forests, surrounded by fluctuating layers of fog and clouds, share similar geometries and light-scattering mechanisms with giant clams, but on a much larger scale. And their quantum efficiency is nearly identical.
The study's first author is Amanda Holt, an associate research scientist in Sweeney's lab. The study's co-author is Lincoln Rehm, a Palauan-American and former graduate student at Drexel University and researcher at the Palau International Coral Reef Center, who is now at the National Oceanography and Atmospheric Administration.Tropical coral reefs are among our most spectacular ecosystems, yet a rapidly warming planet threatens the future survival of many reefs.
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