(Table 1) Presence of sublittoral macroalgae in the investigated profiles in Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Klöser, Heinz, Quartino, Maria Liliana, Wiencke, Christian
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 1996
• Subjects: Adenocystis utricularis; Antarcticothamnion polysporum; Antarctosaccion applanatum; Ascoseira mirabilis; Ballia callitricha; Callophyllis sp.; Carlini/Jubany Station; Counting from image; Curdiea racovitzae; Cystosphaera jacquinotii; Delesseria lancifolia; Delesseria salicifolia; Depth; bottom/max; top/min; water; Desmarestia anceps; Desmarestia antarctica; Desmarestia menziesii; Elachista antarctica; Geminocarpus geminatus; Georgiella confluens; Gigartina skottsbergii; Gymnogongrus antarcticus; Gymnogongrus turquetii; Halopteris obovata; Himantothallus grandifolius; Hymenocladiopsis prolifera; Iridaea cordata; Jubany_Dallmann; Lambia antarctica; Monostroma hariotii; MULT; Multiple investigations; Myriogramme manginii; Myriogramme smithii; Palmaria decipiens; Pantoneura plocamioides; Parlibellus delognei; Parlibellus schefterae; Phaeurus antarcticus; Phycodrys antarctica; Phycodrys austrogeorgica; Phycodrys quercifolia; Picconiella plumosa; Plocamium cartilagineum; Porphyra plocamiestris; PotterCove; King George Island; Potter Cove; Antarc*; Antarctica; antarcticus
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.741015; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.741015

The vegetation of a small fjord and its adjacent open shore was documented by subaquatic video. The distribution of individual species of macroalgae and the composition of assemblages were compared with gradients of light availability, hydrography, slope inclination, substratum, and exposition to turbulence and ice. The sublittoral fringe is usually abraded by winterly ice floes and devoid of large, perennial algae. Below this zone, the upper sublittoral is dominated by Desmarestia menziesii on steep rock faces, where water movements become irregular, or by Ascoseira mirabilis and Palmaria decipiens on weakly inclined slopes with steady rolling water movements. In the central sublittoral above 15 m, where turbulence is still active, Desmarestia anceps is outcompeting all other species on solid substratum, However, the species is not able to persist on loose material under these conditions. Instead, Himantothallus grandifolius may occur. Deeper, where turbulence usually is negligible, Desmarestia anceps also covers loose material. The change of dominance to Himantothallus grandifolius in the deep sublittoral cannot completely be explained at present. Himantothallus grandifolius also prevails in a mixed assemblage under the influence of grounding icebergs. Most of the smaller algae are opportunists with different degrees of tolerance for turbulence, but some apparently need more stable microhabitats and thus are dependent from continuing suppression of competitive large phaeophytes.