From the abstract of some of the papers: It has been suggested that increased springtime UVB radiation caused by stratospheric ozone depletion is likely to reduce primary production and induce changes in the species composition of Antarctic marine phytoplankton. Experiments conducted at Arthur Harbour in the Antarctic Peninsula revealed a reduction in primary productivity at both ambient and increased levels of UVB. Laboratory studies have shown that most species in culture are sensitive to high UVB levels, although the level at which either growth or photosynthesis is inhibited is variable. Stratospheric ozone depletion, with resultant increased springtime UVB irradiance, has been occurring with increasing severity since the late 1970's. Thus the phytoplankton community has already experienced about 20 years' exposure to increasing levels of UVB radiation. Here we present analyses of diatom assemblages from high-resolution stratigraphic sequences from anoxic basins in fjords of the Vestfold HIlls, Antarctica. We find that compositional changes in the diatom component of the phytoplankton community over the past 20 years cannot be distinguished from long-term natural variability, although there is some indication of a decline in the production of some sea-ice diatoms. We anticipate that our results are applicable to other Antarctic coastal regions, where thick ice cover and the timing of the phytoplankton bloom protect the phytoplankton from the effects of increased UVB radiation. Growth rate, survival, and stimulation of the production of UV-B (280 to 320 nm) absorbing compounds were investigated in cultures of five commonly occurring Antarctic marine diatoms exposed to a range of UV-B irradiances. Experimental UV-B exposures ranged from 20 to 650% of the measured peak surface irradiance at an Antarctic coastal site (0.533 J per square metre per second). The five diatom species (Nitzschia lecointei, Proboscia alata, P. inermis, Thalassiosira tumida and Stellarima microtrias) appear capable of surviving two to four times this irradiance. In contrast to Phaeocystis cf. pouchetti, another major component of the Antarctic phytoplankton, the concentrations of pigments with discrete UV absorption peaks in diatoms were low and did not change significantly under increasing UV-B irradiance. Absorbance of UV-B by cells from which pigments had been extracted commonly exceeded that of the pigments themselves. Most of this absorbance was due to oxidisable cell contents, with the frustule providing the remainder. Survival of diatoms did not correlate with absorption by either pigments, frustules or oxidisable cell contents, indicating that their survival under elevated UV-B irradiances results from processes other than screening mechanisms. Springtime UV-B levels have been increasing in Antarctic marine ecosystems since the 1970's. Effects on natural phytoplankton and sea-ice algal communities, however, remain unresolved. At the Marginal Ice Edge Zone, enhanced springtime UV-B levels coincide with a shallow, stratified water column and a major phytoplankton bloom. In these areas it is possible that phytoplankton growth and survival is adversely impacted by enhanced UV-B. In coastal areas, however, the sea ice, which attenuates most of the UV-B before it reaches the water column, remains until December/January, by which time UV-B levels have returned to long-term seasonal averages. Phytoplankton from these areas are unlikely to show long-term changes resulting from the hole in the ozone layer. Fjords of the Vestfold Hills, eastern Antarctica, have anoxic basins which contain high-resolution, unbioturbated sedimentary sequences. Diatom assemblages from these sequences reflect the diatom component of the phytoplankton and sea-ice algal assemblages at the time of deposition. Twenty-year records from these sequences show no consistent record of change in species composition, diversity or species richness. Six-hundred-year records from the same area also show changes in species abundance greater than those seen in the last 20 years. From these records it can be seen that recent changes in diatom abundances generally fall within the limits of natural variability and there is little evidence of recent changes that might be associated with UV-B-induced change.

NOTE - to access these data, please contact the AADC. The data can only be made available on request. This record provides a listing of meteorological data collected in the Australian Antarctic Territory by members of the Australian Antarctic program (and it's predecessors) and the Bureau of Meteorology. The data have been obtained by manual observations and by automatic weather stations. All data are available from the Bureau of Meteorology, and are considered to be the authoritative source of weather data in the Australian Antarctic Territory (as they have been quality checked). Raw data directly from the automatic weather stations at the stations is available at https://data.aad.gov.au/aws. The data available here includes: - Automatic Weather Station data from 7 sites - Casey, Davis, Macquarie Island, Mawson, Wilkins, Davis Whoop Whoop, and Casey Skiway South. Data resolution varies, but is approximately every 30 minutes. - Daily weather data from 48 sites. Note - not all of these sites are still operational. - Synoptic weather data from 53 sites. Note - not all of these sites are still operational. - Terrestrial soil data from 4 sites. Note - not all of these sites are still operational. - Upper air data from 5 sites. Note - not all of these sites are still operational. - High resolution, 1 minute automatic weather station data from 7 sites - Casey, Davis, Macquarie Island, Mawson, Wilkins, Davis Whoop Whoop, and Casey Skiway South. - Daily and Synoptic data from a number of decommissioned sites. Site details of 24 sites. For full site listings, seeing the file for station details within each dataset ("HM01X_StnDet"). Meteorology data from Wilkes Station, Antarctica 1960 - 1968 - data collected include: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb; wet bulb; dew point), air pressure, wind (direction,speed and maximum gust; run (greater than 3 m)), phenomena, sunshine, cloud. Meteorology data from Casey Station (current) (300017), Antarctica 1989 ongoing, surface measurements - location 66.2792 S, 110.5356 E, with a barometric height of 42.3m. Data collected include the following: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb), air pressure, wind (direction;speed), humidity, rainfall, sunshine, cloud, visibility. An AWS is now in operation at Casey station. Meteorology data from Davis Station (300000), Antarctica 1957 ongoing, surface measurements - location 68.5772 S, 77.9725 E, with a station height of 16.0m and a barometric height of 22.3m. - location 66.2792 S, 110.5356 E, with a barometric height of 42.3m. Data collected include the following: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb; terrestrial minimum, soil temperature), air pressure, wind (direction, speed; run), rainfall, sunshine, cloud, humidity, visibility. An AWS is now in operation at Davis station. Meteorology data from Mawson Station (300001), Antarctica 1954 ongoing, surface measurements - location 67.6014 S, 62.8731 E, with a station height of 9.9m and a barometric height of 16.0m. Data collected include the following: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb), air pressure, wind (direction,speed), humidity, cloud, rainfall, sunshine. An AWS is now in operation at Mawson station. Meteorology data from Macquarie Island Station (300004), 1948 ongoing, surface measurements - location 54.4997 S, 158.9522 E, with a station height of 6.0m, a barometric height of 8.3m and an aerodrome height of 6.0m. Data collected include the following: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb; wet bulb; terrestrial minimum; soil 10cm,20cm,50cm,100cm), air pressure, wind (direction; speed; run), rainfall, sunshine, cloud, visibility, humidity, sea state, radiation. An AWS is now in operation at Macquarie Island station. Meteorology data from Heard Island (Atlas Cove) Station (300005), first installed 1948 - location 53.02 S, 73.39 E, with a station height of 3.0m, and a barometric height of 3.5m. Data collected include the following: temperature, air pressure, rainfall. Meteorology data from Heard Island (The Spit) Station (300028), installed 1992 - location 53.1069 S, 73.7211 E, with a station height of 12.0m and a barometric height of 12.5m. Data collected include the following: temperature (air and minimum terrestrial), air pressure, humidity, wind direction, sunshine, cloud. Meteorology data from Casey Station (current) (300017), Antarctica 1989 ongoing, upper atmosphere measurements - location 66.2792 S, 110.5356 E, with a barometric height of 42.3m. Data collected include the following: upper atmospheric temperature (via a radiosonde), upper atmospheric wind (using a wind find radar). Meteorology data from Davis Station (300000), Antarctica 1957 ongoing, upper atmosphere measurements - location 68.5772 S, 77.9725 E, with a station height of 16.0m and a barometric height of 22.3m. Data collected include the following: upper atmospheric temperature (using radiosonde), upper atmosphere wind (using wind find radar). Meteorology data from Mawson Station (300001), Antarctica 1954 ongoing, upper atmosphere measurements - location 67.6014 S, 62.8731 E, with a station height of 9.9m and a barometric height of 16.0m. Data collected include the following: upper atmosphere temperature and wind (using sounding processor and GPS). Meteorology data from Macquarie Island Station (300004), 1948 ongoing, upper atmosphere measurements - location 54.4997 S, 158.9522 E, with a station height of 6.0m, a barometric height of 8.3m and an aerodrome height of 6.0m. Data collected include the following: upper atmosphere temperature and wind (collected using wind find radar and radiosondes). Meteorology data from Knuckey Peaks Station (300009), 1975 - 1984 - location 67.8 S, 53.5 E. Meteorology data from Heard Island (Atlas Cove) Station (300005), first installed 1948, upper atmosphere measurements - location 53.02 S, 73.39 E, with a station height of 3.0m, and a barometric height of 3.5m. Data recorded include: upper atmosphere temperature, upper atmosphere wind. Meteorology data from Mount King Satellite of Mawson Station (300010), Antarctica, 1975 - 1984 - location 67.1 S, 52.5 E, with a station height of 112.5m. Data recorded include: temperature (dry bulb), air pressure, humidity, visibility, and some upper atmosphere measurements. Meteorology data from Lanyon Junction Station (300011), Antarctica 1983 to 1987 - location 66.3 S, 110.8667 E, with a station height of 470.0m. Observational records include: humidity charts, thermograph charts, pilot balloon flights, and surface observations. Meteorology data from Haupt Nunatak (Casey) Automatic Weather Station (site 300012), installed 1994 - located at 66.5819 S, 110.6939 E near Casey station, with a station height of 81.4m and a barometer height of 83.4m. Data recorded include: barometric pressure, wind direction, speed and gust, and air temperature. Meteorology data from Depot Peak site (300013), Antarctica, installed 1990 - location 69.05 S, 164.6 E, and has a station height of 1600 m. Instruments at the site include: barometer, cup anemometer and humicap (temperature and humidity). Meteorology data from Edgeworth David (Bunger Hills) Station (300014), Antarctica, 1986 to 1989 - location 66.25 S, 100.6036 E, with a station height of 6.0m and a barometric height of 7.0m. Meteorology data from Law Base Station (300015),Antarctica, 1989 - 1992 - location 69.4167 S, 76.5 E, with a station height of 77.0m. Meteorology data from Dovers Station (300016), Antarctica, 1988 to 1992 - located at 70.2333 S, 65.85 E, with a station height of 1058.0m and a barometric height of 1059.0m. Data recorded include: Air pressure, air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, cloud, visibility and upper atmosphere data. Meteorology data from Balaena Island Automatic Weather Station (300032), installed 1994 - location 66.017 S, 111.0833 E, 22.21 Nm NE of Casey, with a station height of 8.0m and a barometric height of 10m. Data collected from this AWS include: Wind speed and direction, wind gust, air temperature and barometric pressure. Meteorology data from Snyder Rocks Automatic Weather Station (300033), Antarctica, installed 1994 - located at 66.55 S, 107.75 E, with a station height of 40m and a barometric height of 42m. Data collected include: air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, direction and gust. Meteorology data from Law Dome Summit South Automatic Weather Station (300034), Antarctica, installed 1995 - location 66.717 S, 112.9333 E, with a station height of 1375.0 m. Data collected include: air pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction. Meteorology data from Casey(old) Station, Antarctica 1969 - 1989. Data collected include: temperature (maximum and minimum; dry bulb; wet bulb; dew point), air pressure, wind (direction,speed and maximum gust; run (greater than 3 m)), phenomena, sunshine, cloud, radiation (global,diffuse).