Nutrient stress gradient in the bottom 5 cm of fast ice, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

One-centimeter-scale vertical sampling of fast ice from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica reveals evidence of progressive nutrient limitation with distance above the ice/water interface. Over the bottom 6 cm photosynthetically active radiation increases by between 1.8 and 3 times, C:N increases from 6.8 to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Biology
Main Authors: McMinn, A, Skerratt, J, Trull, T, Ashworth, CM, Lizotte, M
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer-Verlag 1999
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Ecology
Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
McMurdo Sound
Antarc*
Antarctica
Polar Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050356
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/16943
Description
Summary:One-centimeter-scale vertical sampling of fast ice from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica reveals evidence of progressive nutrient limitation with distance above the ice/water interface. Over the bottom 6 cm photosynthetically active radiation increases by between 1.8 and 3 times, C:N increases from 6.8 to 19.8 and 13C increases from -18 to -12. Fatty acid corn position also changes with a consistent decline in polyunsaturated fatty acids and a rise in saturated fatty acids. These factors all suggest severe and progressive nutrient limitation with distance from the ice/water interface.

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