Young squid in the plankton of Prydz Bay, Antarctica

1994 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Filippova ◽  
E.A. Pakhomov

A collection of juvenile squid were caught with the Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl (IKMT) and the Juday plankton net at 86 stations in Prydz Bay (60°–67°30′S, 60°–80°E) to a depth of 500 m but mostly at 0–200 m. Five species were identified, Psychroteuthis glacialis, Alluroteuthis antarcticus, Brachioteuthis sp. and the cranchiids Galiteuthis glacialis and Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. P. glacialis and the cranchiids were the most abundant species. Young P. glacialis (5–17 mm ML) were taken at depths of 5–200 m but concentrated in the upper 100 m whilst the cranchiids (5–35 mm ML) occurred over a wider vertical range (50–500 m). The regular occurrence of paralarvae and juveniles suggests that all the species reproduce in the Antarctic. Juvenile Vertical distribution appears to differ between species with P. glacialis concentrated relatively near the surface, the cranchiids in the upper part of the Circumpolar Deep Water and A. antarcticus widely distributed to a depth of 900 m.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Du ◽  
Xubin Ni

<p>Water cycle have prevailed on upper ocean salinity acting as the climate change fingerprint in the numerous observation and simulation works. Water mass in the Southern Ocean accounted for the increasing importance associated with the heat and salt exchanges between Subantarctic basins and tropical oceans. The circumpolar deep water (CDW), the most extensive water mass in the Southern Ocean, plays an indispensable role in the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water. In our study, the observed CTDs and reanalysis datasets are examined to figure out the recent salinity changes in the three basins around the Antarctica. Significant surface salinity anomalies occurred in the South Indian/Pacific sectors south of 60ºS since 2008, which are connected with the enhanced CDW incursion onto the Antarctic continental shelf. Saltier shelf water was found to expand northward from the Antarctica coast. Meanwhile, the freshening of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water(UCDW), salting and submergence of Subantarctic Mode Water(SAMW) were also clearly observed. The modified vertical salinity structures contributed to the deepen mixed layer and enhanced intermediate stratification between SAMW and UCDW. Their transport of salinity flux attributed to the upper ocean processes responding to the recent atmospheric circulation anomalies, such as the Antarctic Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole. The phenomena of SAMW and UCDW salinity anomalies illustrated the contemporaneous changes of the subtropical and polar oceans, which reflected the meridional circulation fluctuation. Salinity changes in upper southern ocean (< 2000m) revealed the influence of global water cycle changes, from the Antarctic to the tropical ocean, by delivering anomalies from high- and middle-latitudes to low-latitudes oceans.</p>


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1401-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. González-Dávila ◽  
J. M. Santana-Casiano ◽  
R. A. Fine ◽  
J. Happell ◽  
B. Delille ◽  
...  

Abstract. Carbonate system variables were measured in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean along a transect from South Africa to the southern limit of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) from February to March 2008. Eddies detached from the retroflection of the Agulhas Current increased the gradients observed along the fronts. Minima in the fugacity of CO2, fCO2, and maxima in pH on either side of the frontal zone were observed, noting that within the frontal zone fCO2 reached maximum values and pH was at a minimum. Vertical distributions of water masses were described by their carbonate system properties and their relationship to CFC concentrations. Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) and Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) offered pHT,25 values of 7.56 and 7.61, respectively. The UCDW also had higher concentrations of CFC-12 (>0.2 pmol kg−1) as compared to deeper waters, revealing that UCDW was mixed with recently ventilated waters. Calcite and aragonite saturation states (Ω) were also affected by the presence of these two water masses with high carbonate concentrations. The aragonite saturation horizon was observed at 1000 m in the subtropical area and north of the Subantarctic Front. At the position of the Polar Front, and under the influence of UCDW and LCDW, the aragonite saturation horizon deepened from 800 m to 1500 m at 50.37° S, and reached 700 m south of 57.5° S. High latitudes proved to be the most sensitive areas to predicted anthropogenic carbon increase. Buffer coefficients related to changes in [CO2], [H+] and Ω with changes in dissolved inorganic carbon (CT) and total alkalinity (AT) offered minima values in the Antarctic Intermediate Water and UCDW layers. These coefficients suggest that a small increase in CT will sharply decrease the status of pH and carbonate saturation. Here we present data that suggest that south of 55° S, surface water will be under-saturated with respect to aragonite within the next few decades.


2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (11) ◽  
pp. 7819-7838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyan Liu ◽  
Zhaomin Wang ◽  
Chen Cheng ◽  
Yang Wu ◽  
Ruibin Xia ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene W. Domack ◽  
Scott E. Ishman ◽  
Andrew B. Stein ◽  
Charles E. McClennen ◽  
A.J. Timothy Jull

Marine sediment cores were obtained from in front of the Müller Ice Shelf in Lallemand Fjord, Antarctic Peninsula in the austral summer of 1990–91. Sedimentological and geochemical data from these cores document a warm period that preceded the advance of the Müller Ice Shelf into Lallemand Fjord. The advance of the ice shelf is inferred from a reduction in the total organic carbon content and an increase in well-sorted, aeolian, sand in cores proximal to the present calving line. This sedimentological change is paralleled by a change in the foraminiferal assemblages within the cores. Advance of the ice shelf is indicated by a shift from assemblages dominated by calcareous benthic and planktonic forms to those dominated by agglutinated forms. A 14C chronology for the cores indicates that the advance of the Müller Ice Shelf took place c. 400 years ago, coincident with glacier advances in other high southern latitude sites during the onset of the Little Ice Age. Ice core evidence, however, documents this period as one of warmer temperatures for the Antarctic Peninsula. We suggest that the ice shelf advance was linked to the exclusion of circumpolar deep water from the fjord. This contributed to increased mass balance of the ice shelf system by preventing the rapid undermelt that is today associated with warm circumpolar deep water within the fjord. We also document the recent retreat of the calving line of the Müller Ice Shelf that is apparently in response to a recent (four decade long) warming trend along the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 435-462
Author(s):  
M. González-Dávila ◽  
J. M. Santana-Casiano ◽  
R. A. Fine ◽  
J. Happell ◽  
B. Delille ◽  
...  

Abstract. Carbonate system variables were measured in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean along a transect from South Africa to the southern limit of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) in February–March 2008. Eddies detach from retroflection of the Agulhas Current located north of the Subantarctic Front (SAF). The eddies increase the gradients observed at the fronts so that minima in fCO2 and maxima in pH in situ on either side of the frontal zone are observed, while within the frontal zone fCO2 reached maximum values and pH in situ was a minimum. Mixing at the frontal zones, in particular where cyclonic rings were located, brought up CO2-rich water (low pH and high nutrient) that spread out the fronts where recent biological production favored by the nutrient input increases the pH in situ and decreases the fCO2 levels. Vertical distributions of water masses were described by their carbonate system properties and their relationship to CFC concentrations. Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) and Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) had pHT,25 values of 7.56 and 7.61, respectively. UCDW also had higher concentrations of CFC-12 (>0.2 pmol kg−1) as compared to deeper waters, revealing the mixing with recently ventilated waters. Calcite and aragonite saturation states (Ω) were also affected by the presence of these two water masses with high carbonate concentration. Ωarag = 1 was observed at 1000 m in the subtropical area and north of the SAF. At the position of the Polar front and under the influence of UCDW and LCDW Ωarag = 1 deepen from 600 m to 1500 m at 50.37° S, and it reaches to 700 m south of 57.5° S. High latitudes are the most sensitive areas under future anthropogenic carbon increase. Buffer coefficients related to changes in [CO2], [H+] and Ω with changes in CT and AT showed the minimum values are found in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), and UCDW layers. These coefficients suggest that a small increase in CT will sharply decrease the pH and the carbonate saturation states. Here we present data that are used to suggest that south of 55° S by the year 2045 surface water will be undersaturated in aragonite.


Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1866 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEXANDER S. PLOTKIN ◽  
DORTE JANUSSEN

The Antarctic deep-water fauna of Polymastiidae and Suberitidae is revised using recently collected material from the Weddell Sea. The former family appeared to be more abundant and diverse than the latter family in the studied area. Seven species within five polymastiid genera and three species within three suberitid genera are described. Relatively high sponge abundance at two stations deeper than 4700 m was mainly constituted by a polymastiid species Radiella Antarctica sp. nov. Previously, representatives of Radiella have never been found in the Antarctic. An eurybathic species, Polymastia invaginata, well known from the Antarctic and subantarctic, appeared to be especially abundant at less than 1000 m depth. Another eurybathic polymastiid species, Tentorium cf. semisuberites, known for its bipolar distribution, was the third abundant species at the depths between 1000–2600 m, with the highest density found at the deeper stations. Tentorium papillatum, endemic of the Southern Hemisphere, was registered only at a depth of about 1000 m. Other species studied were less abundant. Astrotylus astrotylus, the representative of the endemic Antarctic genus, was found exclusively deeper than 4500 m, often together with R. antarctica. Acanthopolymastia acanthoxa, the endemic deepwater Antarctic species, was registered at 3000 m. The discovery of suberitid Aaptos robustus sp. nov. at about 2300 m is the first signalization of Aaptos in the Antarctic and at such a considerable depth. The finding of Suberites topsenti deeper than 4700 m is also remarkable. In general the results achieved confirm the high degree of geographical endemism of the Antarctic deep-water sponge fauna and the eurybathic distribution of many Antarctic sponge species.


Ocean Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Martinson ◽  
D. C. McKee

Abstract. Five thermistor moorings were placed on the continental shelf of the western Antarctic Peninsula (between 2007 and 2010) in an effort to identify the mechanism(s) responsible for delivering warm Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) onto the broad continental shelf from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) flowing over the adjacent continental slope. Historically, four mechanisms have been suggested: (1) eddies shed from the ACC, (2) flow into the cross-shelf-cutting canyons with overflow onto the nominal shelf, (3) general upwelling, and (4) episodic advective diversions of the ACC onto the shelf. The mooring array showed that for the years of deployment, the dominant mechanism is eddies; upwelling may also contribute but to an unknown extent. Mechanism 2 played no role, though the canyons have been shown previously to channel UCDW across the shelf into Marguerite Bay. Mechanism 4 played no role independently, though eddies may be advected within a greater intrusion of the background flow.


2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
Manuel Bensi ◽  
Vedrana Kovačević ◽  
Federica Donda ◽  
Philip Edward O'Brien ◽  
Linda Armbrecht ◽  
...  

Abstract. Current glacier melt rates in West Antarctica substantially exceed those around the East Antarctic margin. The exception is Wilkes Land, where for example Totten Glacier underwent significant retreat between 2000 and 2012, underlining its sensitivity to climate change. This process is strongly influenced by ocean dynamics, which in turn changes in accordance with the evolution of the ice caps. Here, we present new oceanographic data (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen) collected during austral summer 2017 offshore the Sabrina Coast (East Antarctica) from the continental shelf break to ca 3000 m depth. This area is characterized by very few oceanographic in situ observations. The main water masses of the study area, identified by analysing thermohaline properties, are the Antarctic Surface Water with potential temperature θ>-1.5 ∘C and salinity S<34.2 (σθ<27.55 kg m−3), the Winter Water with -1.92<θ<-1.75 ∘C and 34.0<S<34.5 (potential density, 27.55<σθ<27.7 kg m−3), the modified Circumpolar Deep Water with θ>0 ∘C and S>34.5 (σθ>27.7 kg m−3), and Antarctic Bottom Water with -0.50<θ<0 ∘C and 34.63<S<34.67 (27.83<σθ<27.85; neutral density γn>28.30 kg m−3). The latter is a mixture of dense waters from the Ross Sea and Adélie Land continental shelves. Such waters are influenced by the mixing processes they undergo as they move westward along the Antarctic margin, also interacting with the warmer Circumpolar Deep Water. The spatial distribution of water masses offshore the Sabrina Coast also appears to be strongly linked with the complex morpho-bathymetry of the slope and rise area, supporting the hypothesis that downslope processes contribute to shaping the architecture of the distal portion of the continental margin. Oceanographic data presented here can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.25919/yyex-t381 (CSIRO; Van Graas, 2021).


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