Antarctic pack ice serves as habitat for microalgae which contribute to Southern Ocean primary production and serve as important food source for pelagic herbivores. Ice algal biomass is highly patchy and remains severely undersampled by classical methods such as spatially restricted ice coring surveys. Here we provide an unprecedented view of ice algal biomass distribution, mapped (as chlorophyll a) in a 100 m by 100 m area of a Weddell Sea pack ice floe, using under-ice irradiance measurements taken with an instrumented remotely operated vehicle. We identified significant correlations (p < 0.001) between algal biomass and concomitant in situ surface measurements of snow depth, ice thickness, and estimated sea ice freeboard levels using a statistical model. The model's explanatory power (r2 = 0.30) indicates that these parameters alone may provide a first basis for spatial prediction of ice algal biomass, but parameterization of additional determinants is needed to inform more robust upscaling efforts.
History
Publication title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
44
Issue
14
Pagination
7382-7390
ISSN
0094-8276
Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
Publisher
Amer Geophysical Union
Place of publication
2000 Florida Ave Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20009
Rights statement
Copyright 2017 Commonwealth of Australia
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments