Sea ice core chlorophyll a data are used to describe the seasonal, regional and vertical distribution of algal biomass in Southern Ocean pack ice. The Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate – Biology (ASPeCt – Bio) circumpolar dataset consists of 1300 ice cores collected during 32 cruises over a period of 25 years. The analyses show that integrated sea ice chlorophyll a peaks in early spring and late austral summer, which is consistent with theories on light and nutrient limitation. The results indicate that on a circum-Antarctic scale, surface, internal and bottom sea ice layers contribute equally to integrated biomass, but vertical distribution shows distinct differences among six regions around the continent. The vertical distribution of sea ice algal biomass depends on sea ice thickness, with surface communities most commonly associated with thin ice (<0.4 m), and ice of moderate thickness (0.4–1.0 m) having the highest probability of forming bottom communities.
History
Publication title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
39
Issue
21
Article number
L21602
Number
L21602
Pagination
1-5
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 2012 American Geophysical Union
Repository Status
Open
Socio-economic Objectives
Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments