Small nanoplankton and bacteria in the Western Ross Sea during sea-ice retreat (spring 1994) |
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Authors: | Silvana Vanucci Vivia Bruni |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Università di Messina, Contrada Sperone 31, I-98166, S. Agata, Messina, Italy e-mail: vanucci@popcsi.unian.it Tel.: +39-71-2204649, Fax: +39-71-2204650, IT |
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Abstract: | Spatial changes of small nanoplankton (2–10 μm) were investigated in relation to sea-ice conditions, hydrography and receding
ice processes in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) during spring 1994. Abundance and biomass of heterotrophic and autotrophic nanoplankton,
as well as bacterioplankton, were determined along a south-north transect from the open waters polynya towards the pack ice.
Autotrophic and heterotrophic nanoplankton biomass ranged from 758 to 4570 mgC m−2 and from 3 to 387 mgC m−2, respectively. Heterotrophic nanoplankton accounted, on average, for about 9% of the total (i.e. autotrophic plus heterotrophic)
nanoplankton biomass. The size structure of both auto- and heterotrophic nanoplankton in the Ross Sea continental shelf receding
ice edge was different from that of nanoplankton associated with the shelf break and open Antarctic ice-edge area. Generally,
the highest heterotrophic biomass was found in the pack-ice zone on the continental shelf, while the highest heterotrophic
contribution to the total nanoplankton biomass (up to 25%) was encountered at the shelf break where phytoplankton was largely
dominated by 2- to 3-μm-size cells.
Accepted: 2 May 1999 |
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