A Subice Suction Corer for Sampling Epontic Ice Algae

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Welch, Harold E., Bergmann, Martin A., Jorgenson, John K., Burton, William
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1988
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Canada; ice algae; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f88-067; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f88-067

Standard SIPRE coring was compared with a new Subice Suction Corer and cores taken by diver for the quantitative assessment of epontic (subice) algae on first-year congelation sea ice at Resolute, N.W.T., Canada (≈75°N). The diver cores were probably most accurate but were slow and costly. SIPRE coring was as good as other techniques in late winter and early spring but gave progressively poorer (under) estimates as the season progressed, with up to 90% of the ice algae being lost from SIPRE cores by June. The Subice Suction Corer was fast, easy to operate, cheap, and gave results comparable with samples obtained by diving. Sources of error are discussed.