Spatial distribution of copepods in fast ice of eastern Antarctica

• Main Authors: Kerrie M. Swadlingl, Andrew D. Mcpheel, Andrew Mcminn
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Paralabidocera antarctica; Stephos longbes; Antarctic; Australian Antarctic Territory; Mawson Station; Murphy Rocks; Vestfold; Vestfold Hills; Antarc*; Antarctica; Sea ice; Copepods
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.567.1849; http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp/~penguin/polarbiosci/issues/pdf/2000-Swadling.pdf

Abstract: The distribution and abundance of sympagic copepods in fast ice of the Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) were investigated between October and Decem-ber 1995. Copepods were collected from six sites between the northern Vestfold Hills (Murphy Rocks) and Mawson Station, a distance of approximately 650 km. Nine species of copepods were identified from the ice cores, however, of these only three were recorded regularly: Paralabidocera antarctica, Drescheriella glacialis and Stephos longipes. The density of copepods was highest in the bottom few cm of ice, with abundances reaching up to 147 1 '. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll a were also found in the bottom portion of ice, suggesting that the copepods congregated in regions of high food availability. All developmental stages of Drescheriella glacialis were observed during this study, often from within a single core. In contrast, Paralabidocera antarctica occurred mainly as early copepodite stages, and Stephos longipes mainly as nauplii. These observations were consistent with the documented life cycles for each species. Drescheriella glacialis appears to reproduce and breed within the ice, Paralabidocera antarctica overwinters in the ice but enters a pelagic phase as late-stage copepodids, while nauplii of Stephos longipes are the predominant stages which associate closely with sea ice.