Composition and succession of dinoflagellates and chrysophytes in the upper fast ice of Davis Station, East Antarctica

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Thomson, PG, McMinn, A, Kiessling, I, Watson, M, Goldsworthy, PM
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2006
• Subjects: Biological Sciences; Ecology; Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology); Antarctic; Davis Station; Davis-Station; East Antarctica; McMurdo Sound; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Biology; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0060-y; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/42006

Little is known of the wider Antarctic distribution of the upper fast ice community now comprehensively described from McMurdo Sound. We determined the fast ice protist community at Davis Station, East Antarctica and compared it with that of McMurdo Sound. As at McMurdo Sound, Davis fast ice is characterised by extreme and transitory salinities (96-2.5 psu) and temperatures (-4.5 to -0.1C) during the spring/summer transition. Both communities are dominated by Polarella glacialis (an autotrophic dinoflagellate), chrysophytes and their life cycle stages. Furthermore, the physical parameters of brine temperature and salinity at which these successions occurred approximated those of McMurdo Sound. The high degree of similarity between the communities from the geographically disparate locations indicates that this community type has a circum-Antarctic distribution. Confirming the areal extent and seasonality of this community type will assist in future predictions of sea ice productivity. Springer-Verlag 2005.