Beaching of the tunicate Salpa thompsoni at high levels of suspended particulate matter in the Southern Ocean

• Main Authors: Fuentes, Verónica Lorena, Schloss, Irene R., Esnal, Graciela Beatriz
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2003
• Subjects: mass mortality; stranding; suspended particulate matter; wind; zooplankton; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Salpa; Salpida; Thaliacea; Antarctic; Argentina; King George Island; Potter Cove; South Shetland Islands; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_07224060_v26_n7_p427_Pakhomov; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_07224060_v26_n7_p427_Pakhomov

A mass death event of the pelagic tunicate Salpa thompsoni, which occurred in April 2002 in Potter Cove near the Argentinean/German Antarctic station Jubany (62°14′S-58°40′W), King George Island, South Shetland Islands, is described. Salps appeared on the beach 2 days after very strong ( > 80 km.h-1) winds were registered, which accumulated particulate material in the inner part of the cove and probably also re-suspended bottom sediments. The sharp increase in particulate-matter concentrations in Potter Cove caused clogging of salp mucous filtering nets, and probably a combination of clogging, winds and tides caused dying salps to be washed out onto the beach. Fil:Fuentes, V. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Schloss, I. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Esnal, G.B. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.