Abstract: Sea-ice meiofauna was studied during various cruises to the Weddell Sea. Foraminifers dominate (75%) the sea-ice community in terms of numerical abundance while turbellarians dominate (45%) in terms of biomass. Distribution of organisms is patchy and varies considerably between cruises but also between sampling sites within one cruise. The bulk of the meiofauna is concentrated in the lowest parts of the sea ice, especially during winter and autumn. However, in porous summer sea ice, sympagic organisms also occur in high densities in upper and intermediate layers of sea ice. Proto- and metazoans associated with Antarctic sea ice include organisms actually living in sea ice, as well as those on the underside of floes and in the underlying water. The sea-ice habitat serves as a feeding ground, as well as an important nursery for juveniles, providing energy-rich food resources. The ice also constitutes a shelter from predators.

Abstract: The chemical and isotopic data from sea ice collected over a wide area of the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, during the austral summer/early autumn illustrate the range of environmental conditions under which ice algae grow. A range of ice types and features were sampled including intact and layered ice floes and surface ponds. Sea ice communities were found in all these environments but the highest biomasses were found either at the base of ice floes, or in the interior of layered floes with quasi-continuous horizontal gaps at or shortly below the water level. In the layered floes, particulate organic carbon (POC) measured in the ice layer immediately overlying the gap water (280 to 6014 µmol dm?³) was in excess of what would be predicted if algal growth had occurred in a closed environment. The chemical composition of the gap water was strongly affected by biological activity in the overlying ice, which acts as a physical support for the algae retained within its matrix. The lowest range of POC (27 to 739 µmol dm?³) conformed to predictions of algal growth in a closed system and samples were collected from the interior of ice floes where there was essentially no potential for nutrient exchange. The surface ponds displayed nitrate (NO³?) exhaustion and total dissolved inorganic carbon (?CO?) reductions consistent with nutrient limited algal growth. The stable carbon isotopic composition of the particulate organic matter (POM) across all habitat types sampled (?¹³C_POC -10.0 to -27.3?) displayed a wide range but was much less variable than the range of POC concentrations might have implied. The assumption that the highest biomass of algae in sea ice will result in the most positive ?¹³C_POC values cannot be generally applied. The isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (?¹³C?CO?) in gap waters and surface ponds varied from 0.15 to 3.0? and was shown to be commensurate with the changes predicted from NO³? deficits caused by algal growth.

Abstract: The physiological responses of a small unicellular Chaetoceros species, isolated from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, to changes in temperature, salinity and irradiance simulating those that occur during new-ice formation were investigated. The combination of increased salinity, increased quantum irradiance and decreased temperature significantly reduced growth and photosynthetic rates compared to the control, although cellular metabolism was not inhibited. The cells retained the capacity to photoacclimate, which was observed in the variations in cellular chlorophyll a concentrations and carbon allocation patterns. In terms of photosynthesis, a doubling of quantum irradiance apparently compensated for the adverse effects of increased salinity and lowered temperature. It is thus hypothesized that at least some species of the late season phytoplankton population survive incorporation into ice and continue to photosynthesize and grow under the extreme conditions encountered during sea-ice formation.