Skip to main content
Publications | Persons | Institutes | Projects
[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Microzooplankton biomass distribution in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea (Antarctica)
Umani, S.F.; Monti, M.; Nuccio, C. (1998). Microzooplankton biomass distribution in Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea (Antarctica). J. Mar. Syst. 17(1-4): 289-303. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0924-7963(98)00044-X
In: Journal of Marine Systems. Elsevier: Tokyo; Oxford; New York; Amsterdam. ISSN 0924-7963; e-ISSN 1879-1573, more
Also appears in:
Le Fèvre, J.; Tréguer, P. (Ed.) (1998). Carbon Fluxes and Dynamic Processes in the Southern Ocean: Present and Past. Selected papers from the International JGOFS Symposium, Brest, France, 28-31 August 1995. Journal of Marine Systems, 17(1-4). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 1-619 pp., more
Peer reviewed article  

Available in  Authors 

Keywords
    Aquatic communities > Plankton > Nannoplankton
    Aquatic communities > Plankton > Zooplankton
    Aquatic organisms > Heterotrophic organisms
    Composition > Community composition
    Distribution > Geographical distribution > Vertical distribution
    Ecological zonation
    Population characteristics > Biomass
    Spatial variations
    Taxa > Species > Dominant species
    Antarctica, Victoria Land, Terra Nova [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Umani, S.F.
  • Monti, M.
  • Nuccio, C.

Abstract
    This work describes the spatial and vertical distribution of microzooplankton (20–200 μm) abundance and biomass of the upper layers (0–100 m), collected during the first oceanographic Italian expedition in Antarctica (1987/1988) in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea). Biomass was estimated by using biovolume calculations and literature conversion factors. Sampling was carried out at three depths, surface, 50 and 100 m. The dominant taxa were made up of tintinnid ciliates, ciliates other than tintinnids, larvae of micrometazoa and heterotrophic dinoflagellates. The abundance of the total microplankton fraction had its absolute maximum in the center of Terra Nova Bay at the surface with 31 042 ind. dm−3. The areal and vertical distribution of heterotrophic microplankton biomass differs from that of abundance. On the basis of hydrological conditions, phytoplankton composition and biomass and microzooplankton biomass and structure it is possible to identify three groups of stations: 1—northern coastal stations (intermediate chlorophyll maxima, microphytoplankton prevalence, low microzooplankton biomass); 2—central stations (high surface chlorophyll, nanoplankton prevalence, high abundance of microzooplankton); 3—northern stations (deeper pycnocline, nanoplankton prevalence, high microzooplankton biomass at intermediate depths).

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