Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica
Abstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here...
Published in: | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
University of California Press
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 http://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028/468064/96-922-1-ce.pdf |
id |
crunicaliforniap:10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crunicaliforniap:10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 2024-10-06T13:42:04+00:00 Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica Arrigo, Kevin R. Brown, Zachary W. Mills, Matthew M. Deming, Jody W. Tremblay, Jean-Éric 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 http://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028/468064/96-922-1-ce.pdf en eng University of California Press Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene volume 2 ISSN 2325-1026 journal-article 2014 crunicaliforniap https://doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 2024-09-12T05:01:45Z Abstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here we describe the distributions and physiology of sea ice microalgae in the poorly studied Amundsen Sea sector of the Southern Ocean. Microalgal biomass was relatively high in sea ice in the Amundsen Sea, due primarily to well developed surface communities that would have been replenished with nutrients during seawater flooding of the surface as a result of heavy snow accumulation. Elevated biomass was also occasionally observed in slush, interior, and bottom ice microhabitats throughout the region. Sea ice microalgal photophysiology appeared to be controlled by the availability of both light and nutrients. Surface communities used an active xanthophyll cycle and effective pigment sunscreens to protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet and visible radiation. Acclimation to low light microhabitats in sea ice was facilitated by enhanced pigment content per cell, greater photosynthetic accessory pigments, and increased photosynthetic efficiency. Photoacclimation was especially effective in the bottom ice community, where ready access to nutrients would have allowed ice microalgae to synthesize a more efficient photosynthetic apparatus. Surprisingly, the pigment-detected prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was an important component of surface communities (slush and surface ponds) where its acclimation to high light may precondition it to seed phytoplankton blooms after the sea ice melts in spring. Article in Journal/Newspaper Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean University of California Press Amundsen Sea Southern Ocean Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 2 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California Press |
op_collection_id |
crunicaliforniap |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here we describe the distributions and physiology of sea ice microalgae in the poorly studied Amundsen Sea sector of the Southern Ocean. Microalgal biomass was relatively high in sea ice in the Amundsen Sea, due primarily to well developed surface communities that would have been replenished with nutrients during seawater flooding of the surface as a result of heavy snow accumulation. Elevated biomass was also occasionally observed in slush, interior, and bottom ice microhabitats throughout the region. Sea ice microalgal photophysiology appeared to be controlled by the availability of both light and nutrients. Surface communities used an active xanthophyll cycle and effective pigment sunscreens to protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet and visible radiation. Acclimation to low light microhabitats in sea ice was facilitated by enhanced pigment content per cell, greater photosynthetic accessory pigments, and increased photosynthetic efficiency. Photoacclimation was especially effective in the bottom ice community, where ready access to nutrients would have allowed ice microalgae to synthesize a more efficient photosynthetic apparatus. Surprisingly, the pigment-detected prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was an important component of surface communities (slush and surface ponds) where its acclimation to high light may precondition it to seed phytoplankton blooms after the sea ice melts in spring. |
author2 |
Deming, Jody W. Tremblay, Jean-Éric |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Arrigo, Kevin R. Brown, Zachary W. Mills, Matthew M. |
spellingShingle |
Arrigo, Kevin R. Brown, Zachary W. Mills, Matthew M. Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
author_facet |
Arrigo, Kevin R. Brown, Zachary W. Mills, Matthew M. |
author_sort |
Arrigo, Kevin R. |
title |
Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
title_short |
Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
title_full |
Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
title_sort |
sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the amundsen sea, antarctica |
publisher |
University of California Press |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 http://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028/468064/96-922-1-ce.pdf |
geographic |
Amundsen Sea Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Amundsen Sea Southern Ocean |
genre |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Amundsen Sea Antarc* Antarctica Sea ice Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene volume 2 ISSN 2325-1026 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 |
container_title |
Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
container_volume |
2 |
_version_ |
1812173427993214976 |