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Phytoplankton distribution in relation to sea ice, hydrography and nutrients in the northwestern Weddell Sea in early spring 1988 during EPOS

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Summary

Phytoplankton biomass and distribution of major phytoplankton groups were investigated in relation to sea ice conditions, hydrography and nutrients along three north-south transects in the north western Weddell Sea in early spring 1988 during the EPOS Study (European Polarstern Study), Leg 1. Three different zones along the transects could be distinguished: 1) the Open Water Zone (OWZ) from 58° to 60°S with high chlorophyll a concentrations up to 3.5 μg l−1; 2) the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) from 60° to about 62.5° with chlorophyll a concentrations between 0.1 and 0.3 μg l−1, and 3) the closed pack-ice zone (CPI) from 62.5° to 63.2°S with chlorophyll a concentrations below 0.1 μgl−1. Nutrient concentrations increased towards the south showing winter values under the closed pack-ice. Centric diatoms such as Thalassiosira gravida and Chaetoceros neglectum forming large colonies dominated the phytoplankton assemblage in terms of biomass in open water together with large, long chain forming, pennate diatoms, whereas small pennate diatoms such as Nitzschia spp., and nanoflagellates prevailed in ice covered areas. Fairly low concentrations of phytoplankton cells were encountered at the southernmost stations and many empty diatom frustules were found in the samples. The enhanced phytoplankton biomass in the Weddell-Scotia-Confluence area is achieved through sea ice melting in the frontal zone of two different water masses, the Weddell and the Scotia Sea surface waters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istitutio di Biologia del Mare, I-30122, Venezia, Italy

    F. Bianchi, A. Boldrin, F. Cioce & G. Socal

  2. Tvärminne Zoological Station, SF-10900, Tvärminne (Hanko), Finland

    H. Kuosa

  3. Department of Oceanography, University of Gothenburg, Box 4038, S-400 40, Gothenburg, Sweden

    A. -M. Larsson & P. -I. Sehlstedt

  4. Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, W-2850, Bremerhaven, Federal Republic of Germany

    G. Dieckmann & E. -M. Nöthig

  5. Universitet i Oslo, Biologisk Institut, Adv. Marin Botanik, N-0316, Oslo 3, Norway

    E. E. Syvertsen

Authors
  1. F. Bianchi
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  2. A. Boldrin
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  3. F. Cioce
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  4. G. Dieckmann
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  5. H. Kuosa
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  6. A. -M. Larsson
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  7. E. -M. Nöthig
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  8. P. -I. Sehlstedt
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  9. G. Socal
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  10. E. E. Syvertsen
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Additional information

Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation

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Bianchi, F., Boldrin, A., Cioce, F. et al. Phytoplankton distribution in relation to sea ice, hydrography and nutrients in the northwestern Weddell Sea in early spring 1988 during EPOS. Polar Biol 12, 225–235 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238264

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238264

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