[1] Sea ice core chlorophyll a data are used to describe the seasonal, regional and vertical distribution of algal biomass in Southern Ocean pack ice. The Antarctic Sea Ice Processes and Climate -Biology (ASPeCt -Bio) circumpolar dataset consists of 1300 ice cores collected during 32 cruises over a period of 25 years. The analyses show that integrated sea ice chlorophyll a peaks in early spring and late austral summer, which is consistent with theories on light and nutrient limitation. The results indicate that on a circum-Antarctic scale, surface, internal and bottom sea ice layers contribute equally to integrated biomass, but vertical distribution shows distinct differences among six regions around the continent. The vertical distribution of sea ice algal biomass depends on sea ice thickness, with surface communities most commonly associated with thin ice (<0.4 m), and ice of moderate thickness (0.4-1.0 m) having the highest probability of forming bottom communities.
Examining the causes and consequences of animal movement is fundamental to understanding the ecology of any species. This analysis focuses on Antarctic toothfish movements in the Southern Ocean as inferred from tagging data collected from 2001 to 2019 with a focus on the characteristics of long-distance movements, defined as an individual recaptured greater than 200 km from their release location.The results of this analysis indicate that while adult Antarctic toothfish are generally quite sedentary a small proportion (~7%) move long distances, consistent with findings from previous studies examining movements of toothfish. There appears to be no relationship between time at liberty and long-distance movements, no strong influence of sex and results indicate a distinct bias in the direction of long-distance travel from release to recapture towards a counter-clockwise direction. Frequency and scale of long-distance movements are likely influenced by localized physical oceanographic processes and life-history traits. Knowledge of these movements patterns remains highly important for stock assessments and the design of spatial and temporal fisheries management regimes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.