Phytoplankton and sea ice algal biomass and physiology during the transition between winter and spring (McMurdo Sound, Antarctica)

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: McMinn, A, Martin, AR, Ryan, K
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer-Verlag 2010
• Subjects: Earth Sciences; Oceanography; Biological oceanography; McMurdo Sound; Antarc*; Antarctica; Polar Biology; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.springerlink.com/content/b713257312668830/; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0844-6; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/67961

The phytoplankton and sea ice algal communitiesat the end of winter in McMurdo Sound were dominatedby Fragilariopsis sublineata, with Thalassiosiraantarctica, Melosira adele, Pinnularia quadreata, Entomoneiskjellmannii and heterotrophic dinoflagellates alsopresent. Sea ice algal biomass at the end of winter wasvery low, only 0.050 +- 0.019 mg chla m-2 in 2007 and0.234 +- 0.036 mg chla m-2 in 2008, but this increased to0.377 +- 0.078 mg chla m-2 by early October in 2007 andto 1.07 +- 0.192 by late September in 2008. Under icephytoplankton biomass remained consistently below0.1 lg chla l-1 throughout the measuring period in bothyears. The photosynthetic parameters Fv/Fm, rETRmaxand a document microalgal communities that are mostlyhealthy and well adapted to their low light under iceenvironment. Our results also suggest that species such asFragilariopsis sublineata are well adapted to deal with lowwinter light levels but are unlikely to survive an increase inirradiance, whereas other taxa, such as Thalassiosira antarctica,will do better in a higher light environment.