An in situ incubation method for measuring the productivity
Details of Research
TitleAn in situ incubation method for measuring the productivity and responses of under-ice algae to ocean acidification and warming in polar marine habitatsAbstractDuring the Antarctic spring, algae grows under extensive areas of sea-ice and is a fundamental source of primary production. Understanding how under-ice (bottom-ice) algae will be affected by ocean warming and acidification is critically important in determining the probable future flow-on effects to the ecological communities this algae supports. To investigate this we designed and built a customised experimental system to assess the in situ responses of under-ice algae to changes in both seawater pH and temperature. We conducted two trials in 2013 followed by a successful 14-day incubation experiment in 2014 in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, using the system described here. Assessment of our main control parameters indicated we could reliably control and monitor both pH and temperature in transparent under-ice chambers. The pÌlug-and-play Ìnature of our novel system meant it was easy for divers to deploy and maintain in the very cold temperatures experienced under the sea-ice. Moreover, the system could be remotely sampled from a surface laboratory. This enabled robust monitoring and analyses of manipulated seawater conditions (e.g., pH and temperature), and of responses of the associated biological communities (e.g., fluxes in dissolved oxygen and nutrient levels). Copyright 2017 Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.AcknowledgementsWe wish to acknowledge the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund (NIW1101) for financial support for our project (Únder the Weather: warming and acidification effects under the ice in Antarctica)Ì.We acknowledge the operational support of Antarctica New Zealand, and while in Antarctica from the talented and dedicated staff at Scott Base. We particularly acknowledge the crucial diving support that made this project possible and the underwater photography; Peter Marriott, Rod Budd, Pete Notman, Scott Edhouse and Dave Bremner. Also thank you to Graeme Moss for the invaluable assistance during many "under the radar" hours assembling chambers and umbilical cables, and also forreviewing this manuscript. Thank you to Jojo Donavan for final proofreading. Finally we acknowledge the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for CAPEX funding for the construction ofthe under-ice chambers.
TypeArticleCitationBarr, N., Lohrer, A. and Cummings, V. (2017). An in situ incubation method for measuring the productivity and responses of under-ice algae to ocean acidification and warming in polar marine habitats. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 15(3): 264-275IdentifierBarr2017Relevancerank5Antarctica NZ supported?YesNZARI?No
Cummings, V., An in situ incubation method for measuring the productivity , [Barr2017]. Antarctica NZ, accessed 02/08/2026, https://adam.antarcticanz.govt.nz/nodes/view/63386, 10.1002/lom3.10154
