European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Biogeochemistry and microbial community composition in sea ice and underlying seawater off East Antarctica during early spring
Becquevort, S.; Dumont, I.; Tison, J.-L.; Lannuzel, D.; Sauvée, M.L.; Chou, L.; Schoemann, V. (2009). Biogeochemistry and microbial community composition in sea ice and underlying seawater off East Antarctica during early spring. Polar Biol. 32(6): 879-895. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0589-2
In: Polar Biology. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg. ISSN 0722-4060; e-ISSN 1432-2056
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open Marine Archive 228603 [ download pdf ]

Keywords
    Ice > Sea ice
    Nutrients (mineral)
    Organic matter > Carbon > Organic carbon
    Solutions > Brines
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Sea ice; Brine volume fraction; Nutrients; Organic carbon; Sympagicorganisms

Authors  Top 
  • Becquevort, S.
  • Dumont, I.
  • Tison, J.-L.
  • Lannuzel, D.
  • Sauvée, M.L.
  • Chou, L.
  • Schoemann, V.

Abstract
    Pack ice, brines and seawaters were sampled in October 2003 in the East Antarctic sector to investigate the structure of the microbial communities (algae, bacteria and protozoa) in relation to the associated physico-chemical conditions (ice structure, temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll a and organic matter). Ice cover ranged between 0.3 and 0.8 m, composed of granular and columnar ice. The brine volume fractions sharply increased above −4°C in the bottom ice, coinciding with an important increase of algal biomass (up to 3.9 mg C l−1), suggesting a control of the algae growth by the space availability at that period of time. Large accumulation of NH4 + and PO4 3− was observed in the bottom ice. The high pool of organic matter, especially of transparent exopolymeric particles, likely led to nutrients retention and limitation of the protozoa grazing pressure, inducing therefore an algal accumulation. In contrast, the heterotrophs dominated in the underlying seawaters.

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Authors