Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica
Abstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BioOne
2014-07-01
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| Series: | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 |
| _version_ | 1819064041991045120 |
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| author | Kevin R. Arrigo Zachary W. Brown Matthew M. Mills |
| author_facet | Kevin R. Arrigo Zachary W. Brown Matthew M. Mills |
| author_sort | Kevin R. Arrigo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here we describe the distributions and physiology of sea ice microalgae in the poorly studied Amundsen Sea sector of the Southern Ocean. Microalgal biomass was relatively high in sea ice in the Amundsen Sea, due primarily to well developed surface communities that would have been replenished with nutrients during seawater flooding of the surface as a result of heavy snow accumulation. Elevated biomass was also occasionally observed in slush, interior, and bottom ice microhabitats throughout the region. Sea ice microalgal photophysiology appeared to be controlled by the availability of both light and nutrients. Surface communities used an active xanthophyll cycle and effective pigment sunscreens to protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet and visible radiation. Acclimation to low light microhabitats in sea ice was facilitated by enhanced pigment content per cell, greater photosynthetic accessory pigments, and increased photosynthetic efficiency. Photoacclimation was especially effective in the bottom ice community, where ready access to nutrients would have allowed ice microalgae to synthesize a more efficient photosynthetic apparatus. Surprisingly, the pigment-detected prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was an important component of surface communities (slush and surface ponds) where its acclimation to high light may precondition it to seed phytoplankton blooms after the sea ice melts in spring. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:24:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80cd38c3c65f4f88b703bbe34c5c0c1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2325-1026 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:24:16Z |
| publishDate | 2014-07-01 |
| publisher | BioOne |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene |
| spelling | doaj.art-80cd38c3c65f4f88b703bbe34c5c0c1e2022-12-21T18:58:58ZengBioOneElementa: Science of the Anthropocene2325-10262014-07-0110.12952/journal.elementa.000028ELEMENTA-D-14-00003Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, AntarcticaKevin R. ArrigoZachary W. BrownMatthew M. MillsAbstract Sea ice covers approximately 5% of the ocean surface and is one of the most extensive ecosystems on the planet. The microbial communities that live in sea ice represent an important food source for numerous organisms at a time of year when phytoplankton in the water column are scarce. Here we describe the distributions and physiology of sea ice microalgae in the poorly studied Amundsen Sea sector of the Southern Ocean. Microalgal biomass was relatively high in sea ice in the Amundsen Sea, due primarily to well developed surface communities that would have been replenished with nutrients during seawater flooding of the surface as a result of heavy snow accumulation. Elevated biomass was also occasionally observed in slush, interior, and bottom ice microhabitats throughout the region. Sea ice microalgal photophysiology appeared to be controlled by the availability of both light and nutrients. Surface communities used an active xanthophyll cycle and effective pigment sunscreens to protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet and visible radiation. Acclimation to low light microhabitats in sea ice was facilitated by enhanced pigment content per cell, greater photosynthetic accessory pigments, and increased photosynthetic efficiency. Photoacclimation was especially effective in the bottom ice community, where ready access to nutrients would have allowed ice microalgae to synthesize a more efficient photosynthetic apparatus. Surprisingly, the pigment-detected prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis antarctica was an important component of surface communities (slush and surface ponds) where its acclimation to high light may precondition it to seed phytoplankton blooms after the sea ice melts in spring.http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028Antarcticsea icemicroalgae |
| spellingShingle | Kevin R. Arrigo Zachary W. Brown Matthew M. Mills Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene Antarctic sea ice microalgae |
| title | Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
| title_full | Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
| title_short | Sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica |
| title_sort | sea ice algal biomass and physiology in the amundsen sea antarctica |
| topic | Antarctic sea ice microalgae |
| url | http://elementascience.org/article/info:doi/10.12952/journal.elementa.000028 |
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