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An artificial pool experiment in Antarctic sea ice: effects of sea ice melting on physical and biogeochemical components of pool water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2012

Daiki Nomura ,
Daisuke Simizu ,
Suchana Chavanich ,
Hideo Shinagawa  and
Mitsuo Fukuchi
Daiki Nomura*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8501, Japan Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), 6 Ichiban-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8471, Japan
Daisuke Simizu
Affiliation:
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0819, Japan
Suchana Chavanich
Affiliation:
Reef Biology Research Group, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Hideo Shinagawa
Affiliation:
Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka 415-0025, Japan
Mitsuo Fukuchi
Affiliation:
National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8501, Japan
*
daiki.nomura@npolar.no
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Abstract

We performed an artificial pool experiment in the Antarctic multi-year land-fast ice to examine and simulate the effect of sea ice melting on physical and biogeochemical components of the sea ice field. The input of snow and ice meltwater resulted in warmer, low salinity water at the surface of the pool and probably stratification of the less dense water. Current speed measurements also pointed to water stratification within the pool. Rapid phytoplankton growth in the pool resulted in drastic decreases in concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrients (NO3- and Si(OH)4) in the surface waters of the pool, particularly depleted for NO3-. There was high correlation between variations of dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrient concentrations, but the apparent uptake ratios of these components deviated from that generally applied to marine phytoplankton. The sequence of changes in the physical and biogeochemical components of the pool water suggests that the onset of rapid phytoplankton growth was closely related to the water stratification, which provided stable conditions for phytoplankton bloom even though the supply of nutrients from under-ice water would have declined.

Keywords

dissolved inorganic carbonnutrientsphytoplankton bloomSouthern Oceanwater stratification
Type
Physical Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 24 , Issue 5 , 13 September 2012 , pp. 536 - 544
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2012

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