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Abstract

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 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.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Meiners, KM and Arndt, S and Bestley, S and Krumpen, T and Ricker, R and Milnes, M and Newbery, K and Freier, U and Jarman, S and King, R and Proud, RH and Kawaguchi, S and Meyer, B
Keywords:	Antarctic, sea ice, algae, spatial upscaling
Journal or Publication Title:	Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher:	Amer Geophysical Union
ISSN:	0094-8276
DOI / ID Number:	https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074346
Copyright Information:	Copyright 2017 Commonwealth of Australia
Related URLs:	Google Scholar: Bestley, S UTAS Profile: Bestley, S
Item Statistics:	View statistics for this item

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