During RV Polarstern voyage PS117, under-ice observations were conducted with an instrumented Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) deployed directly from the ship. Collected time-stamped datastreams from the instrumented ROV include: ROV navigation data (heading, pitch, roll, position from an acoustic transponder system), under-ice video footage from the ROV camera and additional upward-looking video cameras, data from an upward-looking acoustic altimeter with integrated depth sensor (to measure the distance of the ROV to the sea-ice subsurface), under-ice hyperspectral irradiance and radiance data from two upward-looking radiometers, and time-stamped up-ward looking digital stills images to detect and quantify the abundance of herbivores at the ice-water interface. Methods for data collection are broadly consistent with methods described in detail in the referenced publication.

This dataset contains CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) data obtained from the GEOSCIENCE of the Nella Dan, during Jan - Mar 1982. There are six other cruises which also collected oceanographic data, who are primarily involved with conducting a long term field survey on krill and other zooplankton. 7 CTD casts were taken in the Prydz Bay region, as a supplement to the seismic survey. As a result, the CTD locations were not always ideal for oceanographic purposes.

This dataset contains the underway data from Voyage 4 1990-91 of the Aurora Australis. This was a resupply voyage, with hydroacoustic gear being tested. DLS data were logged on raw tapes only and are not available online. The observations were taken in November 1990 en route from Hobart to Mawson to Davis and back to Hobart.

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 plus or minus 500.4 and 1304.3 plus or minus 300.1 mg C m-2 d-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 week earlier. Production in the PFZ (475.4 plus or minus 168.7 mg C m-2 d-1) was lower than the SAZ, though not significantly. The PFZ was characterised by a defined deep chlorophyll maximum near the euphotic depth (75 m) 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 (2572.5 mg C m-2 d-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). Table 1:Gross primary production at each CTD station and associated data; Mixed layer depth (Zm, m), incoming PAR (mol m-2 d-1), vertical light attenuation (Kd, m-1), euphotic depth (Zeu, m), differences between euphotic depth and mixed layer depth (Zeu-Zm, m), column-integrated chlorophyll a (0 to 150 m, mg m-2), column-integrated production (0 to 150 m, mg C m-2 d-1), production within the mixed layer (mg C m-2 d-1), production below the mixed layer (mg C m-2 d-1), production within the euphotic zone (1% PAR, mg C m-2 d-1), production below the euphotic zone (mg C m-2 d-1). Kd values that were calculated from chlorophyll a v PAR regressions are marked with an asterisk. At some stations there was a surface mixed layer as well as a secondary mixed layer and both depths are indicated. Table 2:Photosynthetic attributes of phytoplankton with depth at each CTD station; Mixed layer depth (m), euphotic depth (Zeu, m), maximum photosynthetic rate [Pmax, mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1], maximum photosynthetic rate corrected for photoinhibition [Pmaxb, mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1], initial slope of the light-limited section of the P-I curve [alpha, mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1 (micro-mol m-2 s-1)-1], rate of photoinhibition [beta, mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1 (micro-mol m-2 s-1)-1], intercept of the P-I curve with the carbon uptake axis [c, mg C (mg chl a)-1 h-1], light intensity at which carbon-uptake became saturated (Ek, micro-mol m-2 s-1), and chlorophyll a measured using HPLC (mg m-3).

Papers arising from phytoplankton experiments associated with the SAZ (Subantarctic Zone) project. This work was complete as part of ASAC (AAS) project 1156. Taken from the abstracts of the referenced papers: Subantarctic Southern Ocean surface waters in the austral summer and autumn are characterised by high concentrations of nitrate and phosphate but low concentrations of dissolved iron (Fe, ~0.05 nM) and silicic acid (Si, less than 1 micro M). During the Subantarctic Zone AU9706 cruise in March 1998 we investigated the relative importance of Fe and Si in controlling phytoplankton growth and species composition at a station within the subantarctic water mass (46.8 degrees S, 142 degrees E) using shipboard bottle incubation experiments. Treatments included unamended controls; 1.9 nM added iron (+Fe); 9 micro M added silicic acid (+Si); and 1.9 nM added iron plus 9 micro M added silicic acid (+Fe+Si). We followed a detailed set of biological and biogeochemical parameters over 8 days. Fe added alone clearly increased community growth rates and nitrate drawdown and altered algal community composition relative to control treatments. Surprisingly, small, lightly silicified pennate diatoms grew when Fe was added either with or without Si, despite the extremely low ambient silicic acid concentrations. Pigment analyses suggest that lightly silicified chrysophytes (type 4 haptophytes) may have preferentially responded to Si added either with or without Fe. However, for many of the parameters measured the +Fe+Si treatments showed large increases relative to both the +Fe and +Si treatments. Our results suggest that iron is the proximate limiting nutrient for chlorophyll production, photosynthetic efficiency, nitrate drawdown, and diatom growth, but that Si also exerts considerable control over algal growth response, suggesting that both Fe and Si play important roles in structuring the subantarctic phytoplankton community. The influence of irradiance and iron (Fe) supply on phytoplankton processes was investigated, north (47 degrees S, 142 degrees E) and south (54 degrees S, 142 degrees E) of the subantarctic Front in austral autumn (March 1998). At both sites, resident cells exhibited nutrient stress. Shipboard perturbation experiments examined two light (mean in situ and elevated) and two Fe (nominally 0.5 and 3 nM) treatments under silicic acid-replete conditions. Mean in situ light levels (derived from incident irradiances, mixed layer depths (MLDs), wind stress, and a published vertical mixing model) differed at the two sites, 25% of incident irradiance I0 at 47 degrees S and 9% I0 at 54 degrees S because of MLDs of 40 (47S) and 90 m (54S), when these stations were occupied. The greater MLD at 54S is reflected by tenfold higher cellular chlorophyll a levels in the resident phytoplankton. In the 47S experiment, chlorophyll a levels increased to greater than 1 micro gram per litre only in the high-Fe treatments, regardless of irradiance levels, suggesting Fe limitation. This trend was also noted for cell abundances, silica production, and carbon fixation rates. In contrast, in the 54S experiment there were increases in chlorophyll a (to greater than 2 micro grams per litre), cell abundances, silica production, and carbon fixation only in the high-light treatments to which Fe had been added, suggesting that Fe and irradiance limit algal growth rates. Irradiance by altering algal Fe quotas is a key determinant of algal growth rate at 54S (when silicic acid levels are nonlimiting); however, because of the integral nature of Fe/light colimitation and the restricted nature of the current data set, it was not possible to ascertain the relative contributions of Fe and irradiance to the control of phytoplankton growth. On the basis of a climatology of summer mean MLD for subantarctic (SA) waters south of Australia the 47 and 54S sites appear to represent minimum and maximum MLDs, where Fe and Fe/ irradiance, respectively, may limit/colimit algal growth. The implications for changes in the factors limiting algal growth with season in SA waters are discussed.

Bio-optical measurements (radiometry, spectral backscatter, attenuation, absorption) for particle and phytoplankton characterisation acquired during Australian Marine National Facility RV Investigator voyage IN2016_V01. The biooptical package consisted of SeaBird 19plus CTD, Satlantic HyperOCR upwelling radiance and downwelling irradiance sensors, WetLabs ac-9, HobiLabs Hydroscat-6. At selected stations the bio-optical package was lowered to the depth of 240 m (or 20 m above the sea bottom if the depth was lower than 260 m) at 20 m/minute. The radiometric measurements were taken only during the day. Parameters measured: SeaBird CTD (4 Hz frequency): - Temperature - Salinity - Pressure - PAR - Fluorescence - Oxygen Satlantic HyperOCR: - Upwelling radiance (Lu) - spectral - Downwelling irradiance (Ed) – spectral - Pressure HobiLabs Hydroscat: - Backscattering coefficient at 6 wavelengths (442, 488, 550, 589, 676, 850 nm) - Fluorescence (550, 676 nm) - Pressure WetLabs ac-9 (2 Hz frequency) - Light absorption coefficient at 9 wavelengths (412, 440, 488, 510, 532, 555, 650, 676, 715 nm) - Light attenuation coefficient at 9 wavelengths (412, 440, 488, 510, 532, 555, 650, 676, 715 nm) At some stations transmissometer data at 650 nm using the Wetlabs c-Star were collected. Data type product(s) created: raw and calibrated data files were created on board, processed and quality controlled files (.dat and/or .csv) will be available by the end of 2016. Owner of instrument: CSIRO Units: CTD data: units given in the header Hydroscat data: bbp_HEOBI_all: all bbp in m^-1, slope unitless Calibrated: depth in m, all bb in m^-1,all betabb sr^-1 m^-1 Radiometers: all Ed uW/cm^2/nm All Lu uW/cm^2/nm/sr Depth is always given in meters. See the metadata file in the download for more information.

This dataset contains CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) and nutrient (nitrate, phosphate, silicate) data obtained from the Antarctic Division BIOMASS Experiment I (ADBEX I) cruise of the Nella Dan, during Nov - Dec 1982. This cruise is the second in a series of six, conducting a long term field survey of krill and other zooplankton. 79 CTD casts were taken in the Prydz Bay region, and nutrient data were collected at 28 out of the 79 CTD stations. Casts within the shelf zone were made to the bottom and down to 2000 m offshore. Oceanographic sampling was subordinate to other programs such as the phytoplankton survey, hence the locations of the CTD stations were not always ideal for oceanographic purposes. Nutrient samples were collected to provide information for the interpretation of phytoplankton distribution and abundance. The fields in this dataset are: Pressure temperature salinity volume geopotential samples deviation conductivity