INTERANNUAL VARIATION IN DOMINANT PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES AND BIOMASS NEAR DAVIS STATION, EAST ANTARCTICA

• Main Authors: John A. E. Gibson, Kerrie M. Swadling, Harry R. Burton
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Davis Station; Davis-Station; East Antarctica; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.533.3281; http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp/~penguin/polarbiosci/issues/pdf/1997-Gibson.pdf

Abstract: Phytoplankton biomass and speciation were monitored at an inshore site near Davis Station, East Antarctica (68'35'S, 77'58'E) during three consecutive summer seasons (December-February, 1992-5). Four distinct phytoplankton assemblages were identified in which the dominant species were: Phaeocystis sp., an undescribed Cryptomonas species, Thalassiosira dichotomica, and a mixed assem-blage containing Fragilariopsis spp. and Nitzschia spp. Little interannual consistency was found in either the timing of the appearance or disappearance of the various assemblages. Similarly, the seasonal trends in biomass varied dramatically from year to year. Variations in the phytoplankton community can be ascribed, to some extent, to the random variation in a number of factors, including the date of fast ice break out, water column stratification, temperature and salinity, zooplankton grazing and strong winds. Periods of strong wind result in the introduction of offshore or deeper water masses into the shallow inshore environment, where the physical and chemical conditions allow blooms to develop. 1.