Primary Productivity in Sea Ice of the Weddell Region

• Main Authors: Ackley,S. F., Taguchi,S., Buck,K. R.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1978
• Subjects: Biological Oceanography; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *MARINE BIOLOGY; *SEA ICE; *ANTARCTIC REGIONS; THERMAL PROPERTIES; COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS; PRODUCTIVITY; SALINITY; ALGAE; CHLOROPHYLLS; CORE SAMPLING; Weddell Sea; Antarctic; Arctic; East Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA059344; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA059344

Physical and biological measurements were made of sea ice cores taken from 68 deg S to 78 deg S in the Weddell Sea. Fluorescence measurements indicated an algal community that was strongly associated with salinity maxima within the ice. Maximum concentration of chlorophyll a ranged from 0.306 to 4.65 mg/cu m. Comparisons with the water column standing crop indicated that the standing crop within the ice represents a minor but significant percentage of the total standing crop for the region. The ice algal community is apparently distinct from others that have been described for land-fast ice in McMurdo Sound, sea ice in the Arctic and pack ice off East Antarctica. The highest concentrations of biological material are found in the bottom or top of the sample in those regions whereas the Weddell Sea samples are concentrated at intermediate depths (.65 m to 2.15m) within the ice. A qualitative model indicating the relationship between thermally-induced brine migration and subsequent algae growth is presented. This model indicates the distribution of algae within the ice is dependent on the unique thermal and physical setting for Weddell Sea pack ice where brine drainage processes are initiated by spring and summer warming, but are not carried through as completely as in other regions. (Author)