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  • The distribution and abundance of ice-associated copepods in the fast ice of the Australian Antarctic Territory were investigated over a distance of approximately 650 km between October and December 1995. The six sites where collections were made were: offshore from Mawson station, Larsemann Hills (including Nella Bay), Rauer Islands (ice edge near Filla Is), O'Gorman Rocks and Bluff Island near Davis Station, and Murphy Rocks in the northern Vestfold Hills. Ice cores were obtained using SIPRE ice augers. Five to ten cores were collected along transects several km in length. Thickness of sea ice and snow cover were measured at each sampling site. Chlorophyll a concentrations were determined for each core. Copepods were isolated from the melted core water and identified and counted. Zooplankton tows were also made at each site where cores were collected. Nine species of copepods were identified from the cores. However, of these, only three were recorded regularly: Paralabidocera antarctica, Drescheriella glacialis and Stephos longipes. The abundance of copepods ranged between 0 and 147/L. The highest densities were recorded at the Larsemann Hills and the lowest at Murphy Rocks. Within the cores, the highest abundances were found in the bottom 10 cm of ice, irrespective of the species. Chlorophyll a concentrations ranged between 0.9 and 373 mg/m3. Data available: excel files containing sampling dates, sampling sites and abundances (number per L) of three dominant sea ice copepods, Paralabidocera antarctica, Drescheriella glacialis, Stephos longipes. Data are presented for developmental stages (nauplii, copepodites and adults) where available. Totals are also provided. Vertical distribution in some cores is also provided. Chlorophyll a concentrations (ug/L) provided for most sites. Detailed information about each of the spreadsheets is provided below: The chlorophyll spreadsheet shows chlorophyll concentrations for 5 sites in the AAT. The column headings are: core - reference number of the core collected subsection - depth in the core in cm volume - vol of melted core water volume added - 1 L of filtered seawater for melting % original - amount of total that core water represents (i.e. minus the 1L added) aliquot - volume subsampled for chlorophyll analysis acetone - amount added (mL) for extraction 750, 664, 647, 630 - wavelengths where absorbance was measured chloro a - amount of chlorophyll a in the sample ug/L - chloro a expressed as a concentration The spatial spreadsheet shows species abundances of three copepods at 4 sites N1 to NVI - nauplius stage 1 to 6 of a species CI to CVI - copepodite stage 1 to 6 of a species F or M - female or male of copepodite stage 5 or 6 1,1 etc - cores 1 and 2 from site 1 within a major location (e.g. 2 cores close together in the Larsemann Hills) The temporal spreadsheet shows abundances over time at 2 sites (O'Gorman Rocks, Bluff Is) near Davis and two species (Paralabidocera antarctica and Drescheriella glacialis) on several sampling dates N1 to N3 - total nauplii in each of three cores (i.e. not separated into stages as above) C1 to C3 - total copepodites A1 to A3 - total adults Then at the bottom are the means of each three cores.

  • Data collected from O'Gorman rocks near Davis Station between February 2004 to January 2005. Data were collected using a Yellow Science Industries 6600 Sonde. Vertical profiles of Temperature, Salinity, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Photosynthetically Active Radiation were collected. Each Sampling date/time and depths were recorded. The data are stored in spreadsheet form, and saved as a comma separated values text file. This work was carried out as part of ASAC project 40. The fields in this dataset are: Date Time Temperature Conductivity Salinity Dissolved Oxygen Depth Photosynthetically Active Radiation

  • This dataset contains samples collected at O'Gorman Rocks and Ellis Fjord near Davis station from December 1997 to March 1998. Depth-stratified zooplankton samples were obtained for determination of zooplankton abundance and biomass. Water samples were collected for the determination of chlorophyll a concentration, protist identification and abundance, and the concentration of particulate and dissolved organic carbon. Sediment trap material was collected for the analysis of faecal pellets (identification and CHN analyses), protist identification and abundance, and the measurement of particulate organic carbon concentration. Zooplankton grazing experiments were performed in the laboratory at Davis station and zooplankton were also collected for CHN analyses. Data from this project arose from projects ASAC 963 and ASAC 2229.

  • This metadata record covers ASAC projects 113, 191 and 625. (ASAC_113, ASAC_191, ASAC_625). The total lipid, fatty acid, sterol and pigment composition of water column particulates collected near the Australian Antarctic Base, Davis Station, were analysed over five summer seasons (1988-93) using capillary GC, GC-MS, TLC-FID and HPLC. Polar lipids were the dominant lipid class. Maximum lipid concentrations usually occurred in samples collected in December and January and corresponded with increased algal biomass. Both lipid profiles and microscopic observations showed significant variation in algal biomass and community structure in the water column during each season and on an interannual basis. During the period of diatom blooms (predominantly Nitzschia species) the dominant sterol and fatty acid were trans-22-dehydrocholesterol and 20:5w3, accompanied by a high 16:1w7 to 16:0 ratio. Very high polyunsaturated fatty acid and total lipid concentrations were associated with diatom blooms in the area. Bacterial markers increased late in all seasons after the summer algal blooms. Long chain C30 sterols also increased during the latter half of all seasons. Fjord samples collected in the area reflected greater biomass and diversity in algal and bacterial makers than coastal sites. Signature lipids for the alga Phaeocystis pouchetii, thought to be a major alga in Antarctic waters, were identified in field samples over the five summer seasons studied. Methods Study site Davis Base is situated on the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica and incorporates numerous lakes and fjords (Fig. 1). Samples of water column particulate matter were collected during five summer seasons (1988-93), 500 meters off-shore from Magnetic Island, situated 5 km NW of Davis. Three other sampling areas were situated in the fjords of the Vestfold hills and include two sites in Ellis Fjord, one midway along Ellis Fjord and one near Ellis Fjord mouth and one sample midway along Long Fjord (Fig. 1). These fjords are protected from the marine environment, but are both marine fjords. Davis Station and Magnetic Island were used for the weekly sample sites. The mouth of Long Fjord, the mouth of Ellis Fjord, midway down Long Fjord, the deep basin in Ellis Fjord, O'Gorman Rocks and Hawker island (ocean side) were used for monthly samples. Field collection There was an initial pilot season in 1988-89, which was followed by two more detailed studies in the summers of 1989-90 and 1990-91. Four samples was also analysed from the 1991-92 and five from the 1992-93 summer seasons. During the initial pilot study at Magnetic Island in the 1988-89 summer, three water column particle samples were taken for lipid analyses. The 1989-90 and 1990-91 summer field seasons incorporated weekly sampling of the water column particulates at Magnetic Island. The phytoplankton in the fjords were studied during the summers of 1989-90 and 1990-91. The three sites that were chosen were all sampled three times in each season. Samples were also collected during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons from the Magnetic Island and Fjord site s for pigment analyses. Three and five samples were collected respectively in the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Samples were also taken for microscopic analyses. For lipid analyses 30-40 liter water column particulate samples were collected at a depth of 10 m. A Seastar or INFILTREX water sampler was used in situ to filter the water through a 14.2 cm Schleicher and Schuell glass fibre filter over a three to four hour period. All filters used during sampling were preheated in a muffle furnace at 500 degrees C overnight to minimise contamination. For pigment analyses 2 to 4 litres were filtered through glass fibre filters (4.7 cm GF/F, nominal pore size 0.7 micro meters). The samples were frozen at -20 degrees C until extraction.