Primary production of phytoplankton in high Arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (scientific paper)

• Main Authors: Yukuya Yamaguchi, Takemi Miyahara, Osamu Matsuda, Sakae Kudoh
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo University of Fisheries/Tokyo University of Fisheries/Hiroshima University/National Institute of Polar Research 1996
• Subjects: Arctic; Norway; Svalbard; Kongsfjord*; Kongsfjorden; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Phytoplankton; Polar Research; Sea ice; midnight sun
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=2279; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00002279/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2279&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Standing stock and primary productivity of phytoplankton were investigated in relation to the environmental conditions in high arctic Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (Norway) during the early summer of 1993,just after the sea ice melting. The concentration of chlorophyll a in the surface water showed high values only during sea ice melting (1.0-5.7μg・l^<-1>), then decreased to less than 0.5μg・l^<-1>. Daily variations of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ranged from 200 to 1200 μmole・m^<-2>・s^<-1> during the study period. Even in the midnight sun, more than 20% of the daily maximum PAR was recorded. Photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton measured by the ^<13>C stable isotope method was high (1.17mg C・mg Chl. a^<-1>・hr^<-1>) during the ice melting period, whereas that in the succeeding period was low (0.45mg C・mg Chl. a^<-1>・hr^<-1>). Daily primary production was calculated in the ice melting period and succeeding period to be 1100 and 87-119mg C・m^<-2>・day^<-1>, respectively.