Benthos in Antarctica

南极底栖动物群落生活在极端寒冷和稳定的自然环境中。虽然人类活动在南极洲已经进行了多年，但人们对这种活动的生物影响知之甚少。随着对环境健康和安全问题的日益重视，美国南极计划正在支持这些领域的研究。该项目将侧重于用于环境评估、环境恢复评估和环境决策的数据收集。这笔赠款将建立一个海底监测计划，将麦克默多站附近受人类影响的海底遗址与麦克默多海峡和罗斯海的未受影响的地点进行比较。这将涉及四种类型的采样和监测活动：沉积物化学、动物组织化学、底栖生物群落和生物测定。将使用标准采样和分析技术，其中一些将包括针对独特的南极条件进行修改。

Antarctic benthic communities exist in an extremely cold and constant physical setting. Although human activities have been conducted in Antarctica for many years, little is known of the biological impact of such activities. With an increasing emphasis on environmental health and safety issues, the United States Antarctic Program is supporting research in these areas. This project will focus on data collection designed to be used in environmental assessments, evaluation of environmental recovery, and environmental decision making. This grant will establish a benthic monitoring program to compare human-impacted benthic sites near McMurdo Station to unimpacted sites in McMurdo Sound and Ross Sea. This will involve four types of sampling and monitoring activities: sediment chemistry, animal tissue chemistry, benthic communities, and bioassays. Standard sampling and analytical techniques will be used, and will some include modifications for the unique Antarctic conditions.