TITLE:   Palmer LTER: Light-saturated primary production in Antarctic coastal
         waters
AUTHORS: Mark A. Moline and Barbara B. Prezelin and H. Claustre
DATE:    1996
Palmer LTER Contribution No. 110
Antarctic Journal  of the United States, (accepted)

Abstract - 
Photosynthesis-irradiance (P-I) parameters were determined during
the austral spring/summer from 1991 to 1994 as part of the Palmer Long-Term
Ecological Research program.  In combination with photosynthetically
available radiation measured over the same period, P-I parameters were used
to quantify the degree to which phytoplankton photosynthesis was
light-saturated and to identify factors significantly influencing light
saturation.  An average of 47% of primary production was light-saturated
with a maximum of 78% during the study period.  Cloud cover was shown to
decrease daily incident irradiance by 37% with a corresponding decrease in
primary production of 20%.  When the influence of clouds on surface
irradiance was removed, the degree of saturation increased by only 8%.
Results show phytoplankton in these coastal waters are light-saturated for
much of the growing season from September to mid March and cast doubt on
light availability being a major factor limiting Southern Ocean
productivity.