Antarctic Marine Ecosystem Research at the Ice Edge Zone (AMERIEZ): The Distribution of Free-Living Protozoa

在早春时，南极浮冰的覆盖面积达到最大值，大致相当于南极大陆的面积；到了夏末，只剩下残留在威德尔海和其他沿海地区。因此，冰缘带是南极地区的一个主要特征，在年周期的某个时候，它包括了大部分周围的海洋。冰缘的生产力似乎比开阔的海洋或浮冰区都要高，并且有人假设冰缘是鸟类和哺乳动物的重要觅食区。为了更好地了解冰缘对南极生产力和生态的总体重要性，研究人员制定了一个多学科项目，以获取冰缘带的物理、化学和生物学数据。加里森的项目是“南极冰缘区海洋生态系统研究”项目的一个组成部分。这个项目现在处于最后的分析和综合阶段。该项目将完成对冰缘附近原生动物的检查，以确定它们的丰度、分布、物种组成和在食物网中的作用。这是一种基于成就的更新。

At its maximum extent in the early spring, antarctic pack ice covers an area roughly equal to that of the antarctic continent; by late summer only remnants remain in the Weddell Sea and other coastal areas. Thus, the ice edge zone is a major feature of the antarctic region and one that includes most of the surrounding seas at some time during the annual cycle. Productivity at the ice edge appears to be higher than in either the open ocean or pack-ice region, and it has been hypothesized that the ice edge is an important feeding area for birds and mammals. A multidisciplinary program was developed to obtain data on the physics, chemistry, and biology of the ice-edge zone in order to better understand the overall importance of the ice edge for antarctic productivity and ecology. Garrison's project is one component of this program AMERIEZ (Antarctic Marine Ecosystem Research at the Ice Edge Zone). This project is now in its final analysis and synthesis stage. This project will complete the examination of the protozoans in the vicinity of the ice edge to determine their abundance, distribution, species composition, and role in the food web. This is an Accomplishment Based Renewal.