Metadata record AAS_4127_antFOCE_HardSubstrateFauna contains all data sets relating to the fauna sampled from hard substrates during the antFOCE experiment, including recruitment tiles, artificial substrate units and biofilm slides. Refer to antFOCE report section 4.5 for deployment, sampling and on-station analysis details. https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4127_antFOCE_Project4127 Background The antFOCE experimental system was deployed in O’Brien Bay, approximately 5 kilometres south of Casey station, East Antarctica, in the austral summer of 2014/15. Surface and sub-surface (in water below the sea ice) infrastructure allowed controlled manipulation of seawater pH levels (reduced by 0.4 pH units below ambient) in 2 chambers placed on the sea floor over natural benthic communities. Two control chambers (no pH manipulation) and two open plots (no chambers, no pH manipulation) were also sampled to compare to the pH manipulated (acidified) treatment chambers. Details of the antFOCE experiment can be found in the report – “antFOCE 2014/15 – Experimental System, Deployment, Sampling and Analysis”. This report and a diagram indicating how the various antFOCE data sets relate to each other are available at: https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4127_antFOCE_Project4127

Refer to antFOCE report section 4.5.1 for deployment, sampling and analysis details. https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4127_antFOCE_Project4127 The download file contains an Excel workbook with one data spreadsheet and one of notes relevant to the data. The data are the total number of each sessile organism collected per tile as per the census methods detailed in the Notes spreadsheet. Tiles were deployed in chambers or open plots during the antFOCE experiment on a metal stand in either a horizontal or vertical orientation. Background The antFOCE experimental system was deployed in O’Brien Bay, approximately 5 kilometres south of Casey station, East Antarctica, in the austral summer of 2014/15. Surface and sub-surface (in water below the sea ice) infrastructure allowed controlled manipulation of seawater pH levels (reduced by 0.4 pH units below ambient) in 2 chambers placed on the sea floor over natural benthic communities. Two control chambers (no pH manipulation) and two open plots (no chambers, no pH manipulation) were also sampled to compare to the pH manipulated (acidified) treatment chambers. Details of the antFOCE experiment can be found in the report – “antFOCE 2014/15 – Experimental System, Deployment, Sampling and Analysis”. This report and a diagram indicating how the various antFOCE data sets relate to each other are available at: https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/AAS_4127_antFOCE_Project4127

Metadata record for data expected from ASAC Project 996 See the link below for public details on this project. The study investigated the effects of the small sewage outfall on algal epifauna in the isthmus area. No impacts were detected and patterns of community structure were tentatively explained by local differences in wave exposure gradients. From the abstract to the referenced paper: As part of a wider programme investigating the effects of human presence on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems, this study evaluated the impact of the small sewage outfall at Macquarie Island on the epifauna living within turfs of the intertidal red alga Chaetangium fastigiatum. Sampling was conducted during early December (austral summer) in both 1996 and 1997 at six sites, two sites within each of three adjacent bays. The site closest to the outfall was 3m from the point of discharge. Data analyses at the population and community levels failed to demonstrate a significant effect of the outfall. Small scale spatial patterns, probably related to wave exposure, and inter-annual variation in recruitment, are suggested as the main causes of variation in patterns of epifaunal dominance during the study. The site codes used in this dataset are: GCS - Garden Cove South GCN - Garden Cove North GBS - Bay 1 South GBN - Bay 1 North CS - Bay 2 North CN - Bay 2 South At each site 5 replicates were taken. The numbers are total individuals of each species that were found in each Chaetangium sample. This is a basic, though standard, species-abundance matrix. The fields in this dataset are: Species Site Year

The recruitment of epifauna (sessile and mobile) on hard-substratum was examined in a field experiment using tiles. A total of 160 tiles were deployed at five locations, with 32 tiles at each location, arranged in a spatially nested design. There were three potentially impacted locations locations (two in Brown Bay and one in Shannon Bay) and two control locations (in O'Brien Bay). This metadata record describes data from the first sampling time only. Eight tiles were collected from each location 15 months after the initial deployment. The experiment was setup so that recruitment of sessile epifauna to both the upper and lower sides of the tiles could be examined. The mobile epifauna on the tiles were also collected and are described in a separate metadata record. Heavy recruitment was observed on the underside of the tile and only light recruitment was observed on the upper surface. Also links to ASAC 1100.

The recruitment of mobile epifauna on hard-substratum was examined in a field experiment using tiles. A total of 160 tiles were deployed at five locations, with 32 tiles at each location, arranged in a spatially nested design. There were three potentially impacted locations locations (two in Brown Bay and one in Shannon Bay) and two control locations (in O'Brien Bay). This metadata record describes data from the first sampling time only. Eight tiles were collected from each location 15 months after the initial deployment. The experiment was setup so that the combined recruitment of mobile epifauna to the upper and lower sides of the tiles could be examined. The sessile epifauna on the tiles were also collected and are described in a separate metadata record. A total of 40 samples are included in this data. Also links to ASAC 1100.