Photosynthetically active radiation and microalgae and protist occurrence at ice stations of POLARSTERN cruise ARK-XIX/1 ...

• Main Authors: Werner, Iris, Ikävalko, Johanna, Schünemann, Henrike
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2007
• Subjects: Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas SPP1158; Arctic; Antarctic; Svalbard; Antarc*; ice algae; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.855218; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.855218

Pack ice around Svalbard was sampled during the expedition ARK XIX/1 of RV "Polarstern" (March-April 2003) in order to determine environmental conditions, species composition and abundances of sea-ice algae and heterotrophic protists during late winter. As compared to other seasons, species diversity of algae (total 40 taxa) was not low, but abundances (5,000-448,000 cells/l) were lower by one to two orders of magnitude. Layers of high algal abundances were observed both at the bottom and in the ice interior. Inorganic nutrient concentrations (NO2, NO3, PO4, Si(OH)4) within the ice were mostly higher than during other seasons, and enriched compared to seawater by enrichment indices of 1.6-24.6 (corrected for losses through the desalination process). Thus, the survival of algae in Arctic pack ice was not limited by nutrients at the beginning of the productive season. Based on less-detailed physical data, light was considered as the most probable factor controlling the onset of the spring ice-algal bloom in ... : Supplement to: Werner, Iris; Ikävalko, Johanna; Schünemann, Henrike (2007): Sea-ice algae in Arctic pack ice during late winter. Polar Biology, 30(11), 1493-1504 ...