PHYSICAL PARAMETERS INFLUENCING DIATOM COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN EASTERN ANTARCTIC SEA-ICE

<p>Diatom assemblages obtained from fast ice around Prydz Bay, Antarctica, are distinctly different</p> <p>from those obtained from pack ice in the same area. The dominant species in all ice cores were <em>Fragilariopsis curta</em>, <em>F. cylindrus</em>, <em>Nitzschia stellata</em> and <em>Pseudonitzschia turgiduloides</em>. <em>Entomoneis kjellmanii </em>and <em>Cocconeis</em> spp. were more characteristic of fast ice samples and <em>F. curta</em> of pack ice samples. Ice crystal type (i.e.whether frazil or congelation crystal) is an important factor determining the algal composition of the ice. Other significant influences include the time of year the ice forms and the salinity of the ice.</p>