TITLE:   Palmer LTER: Potential Ecological Impacts from Variations in 
	 Polar Climate
AUTHORS: Raymond C. Smith, and LTER Palmer PI's
DATE:    2-4 August 2000
PLACE:   LTER All Scientists Meeting 2000, Long-Term Ecological Research:
	 Unifying Principles & Global Applications, Snowbird, Utah
         
	 University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
	 Poster - Session: Climate/Meteorology (T24)

ABSTRACT

Polar regions are unique in that sea ice, a dominant and
distinguishing characteristic of Southern Ocean marine ecology, 
forms a range of habitats for animals as well as extensive and 
varied surfaces for algal and microbial populations.  The Palmer 
Long Term Ecological Research (PAL) program focuses on understanding 
the ecological role of sea ice with the primary objective being to 
gain a general understanding of the physical and climate controls on 
interannual sea ice variability, the effects of this variability on 
trophic interactions, and the biogeochemical consequences thereof.  
Climate research to date shows the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) 
region has experienced a statistically significant warming trend 
during the past half century and as determined from satellite passive 
microwave data during the past two decades air temperatures and sea 
ice extent are strongly anti-correlated.  The variability in both 
air temperature and sea ice extent in the WAP region has been shown 
to be influenced by contrasting maritime influence in the WAP region 
with corresponding effects on the marine ecosystem.  As part of the 
Palmer program, the ecological influence of these trends and 
variability is being studied, and effects have already been 
demonstrated at all trophic levels.