Journal article
Primary production in the Sub-Antarctic and Polar Frontal Zones south of Tasmania, Australia; SAZ-Sense survey, 2007
Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Vol.58(21-22), pp.2162-2178
2011
Abstract
The Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ) in the Southern Ocean provides a significant sink for atmospheric CO2 and quantification of this sink is therefore important in models of climate change. During the SAZ-Sense (Sub-Antarctic Sensitivity to Environmental Change) survey conducted during austral summer 2007, we examined CO2 sequestration through measurement of gross primary production rates using 14C. Sampling was conducted in the SAZ to the south-west and south-east of Tasmania, and in the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) directly south of Tasmania. Despite higher chlorophyll biomass off the south-east of Tasmania, production measurements were similar to the south-west with rates of 986.2±500.4 and 1304.3±300.1mgCm-2d-1, respectively. Assimilation numbers suggested the onset of cell senescence by the time of sampling in the south-east, with healthy phytoplankton populations to the south-west sampled three weeks earlier. Production in the PFZ (475.4±168.7mgCm-2d-1) was lower than the SAZ, though not significantly. The PFZ was characterised by a defined deep chlorophyll maximum near the euphotic depth (75m) with low production due to significant light limitation. A healthy and less light-limited phytoplankton population occupied the mixed layer of the PFZ, allowing more notable production there despite lower chlorophyll. A hypothesis that iron availability would enhance gross primary production in the SAZ was not supported due to the seasonal effect that masked possible responses. However, highest production (2572.5mgCm-2d-1) was measured nearby in the Sub-Tropical Zone off south-east Tasmania in a region where iron was likely to be non-limiting (Bowie et al., 2009. Biogeochemical iron budgets of the Southern Ocean south of Australia: decoupling of iron and nutrient cycles in the subantarctic zone by the summertime supply.
Details
- Title
- Primary production in the Sub-Antarctic and Polar Frontal Zones south of Tasmania, Australia; SAZ-Sense survey, 2007
- Authors/Creators
- K.J. Westwood (Author/Creator) - Australian Antarctic DivisionF.B. Griffiths (Author/Creator) - CSIRO Oceans and AtmosphereJ.P. Webb (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityS.W. Wright (Author/Creator) - Australian Antarctic Division
- Publication Details
- Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, Vol.58(21-22), pp.2162-2178
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Identifiers
- 991005540005807891
- Copyright
- © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; Algae and Seagrass Research Group
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Metrics
349 File views/ downloads
144 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.2 Marine Biology
- 3.2.154 Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Oceanography
- ESI research areas
- Geosciences