A limnological survey of the Ablation Point area, Alexander Island, Antarctica

• Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1977
• Subjects: Alexander Island; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Ice Shelf
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1977.0070; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstb.1977.0070

The ice-free area around Ablation Point (70° 49' S, 68° 25' W) is of particular limnological interest. Numerous ponds and pools lie on coastal moraines and large, permanently ice-covered lakes lie in the valleys. Two of the lakes are unusual in that they are in contact with seawater from George VI Sound which is covered by an ice shelf, 100-500 m thick, and which separates Alexander Island from the Antarctic mainland. Evidence for the existence of a marine biome, 100 km from the open sea, was obtained from one lake. Freshwater biological samples added new genera to Antarctic lists, extended the known range of species, and illustrated the important role of isolation in the determination of antarctic biocoeneses.