TITLE: Palmer LTER: PRIMARY PRODUCTION WEST of the ANTARCTIC PENINSULA for 1992-1997 GROWTH SEASONS
AUTHORS: M.Vernet, H.Dierssen, W.Kozlowski, K.Baker, R.Smith
DATE: 31 Aug - 4 Sep 1998
PLACE: SCAR VII International Biology Symposium in New Zealand 

Maria Vernet, SIO, University of California at San Diego
Heidi Dierssen, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara
Wendy Kozlowski, SIO, University of California at San Diego
Karen Baker, SIO, University of California at San Diego
Raymond Smith, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara

   A major objective of the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (Palmer
LTER) project is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the various
components of the Antarctic Marine ecosystem (Smith et al. 1995).  This
system is characterized by large temporal and spatial variability in
rates of primary productivity (Smith et al. 1996).  Observations during
6 growth seasons in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region show
high seasonal and interannual variability, with rates from November to
April ranging from 0.2 to 6.1 g C m^-2 d^-1.  Similarly, spatial
variability is high with nearshore values typically 4 times higher than
values off shore over the continental slope. In this region, integrated
water-column primary production is linearly correlated to integrated
water column chlorophyll, relatively independent of in situ conditions,
resulting in low chl-normalized primary production (0.3-3 mg C (mg
chl)^-1 h^-1).  Phytoplankton production is controlled by diatoms and
cryptophytes, and to a lesser extent, prymnesiophytes.
Carbon:chlorophyll ratios are consistently low during bloom periods.
Annual integrated production for coastal stations show at least a
three-fold variability, ranging from 110 to 270 mg C m^-2 yr^-1.  Our
space/time observations permit testing and refining depth-integrated
productivity models based on satellite derived estimates of surface
chlorophyll.

References

Smith R.C., Baker K.S., Fraser W.R., Hofmann E.E., Karl D.M., Klinck
  J.M., Quetin L.B., Prezelin B.B., Ross R.M., Trivelpiece W.Z., Vernet
  M. 1995. Oceanography 8, 77-86.

Smith R.C., Dierssen H.M., Vernet M. 1996. Antarctic Research Series
  70, 333-356.