Diving observations of the marine benthos at Syowa Station, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Yasushi Nakajima, Kentaro Watanabe, Yasuhiko Naito
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo University of Fisheries 1982
• Subjects: Kita-no-seto; Kita-no-ura; Nisi-no-ura; Syowa Station; Ura; Antarc*; Antarctica; E. Antarctica; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1293; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00001293/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=1293&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

In January 1981,15 diving observations were made on the benthos at three locations around Syowa Station (69°00'S, 39°35'E), Antarctica. A total of 87 animal species and 3 algal species were collected. At the Nisi-no-ura Cove location, qualitative and quantitative collections of the sandy bottom samples were made. The biomass was under 500g/m^2. The bivalve, Adamussium colbecki, was distributed zonally at depth of 3m. In the highest density zone, the biomass of the shellfish reached about 2kg/m^2. The Kita-no-ura Cove location which had a gentle sloping rocky bottom, had a very rich fauna. There was little life in shallow water (5m) except for small, motile animals. Below 5m animals were very abundant. Some species composition were changed around 10m in depth. At the Kita-no-seto Strait location, an area with a steep rocky slope, the landscape was almost the same as that of the former location, but the amount of animals was not so great. In this area many sea urchins, some of which had two species of algae on them, were found. Except for those which were attached to sea urchins, frondose algae were hardly found. An attempt was made to bring several live specimens back to Japan. Although many organisms died on route, some did reach Japan alive.