Workshop on the Role of Pack Ice Seals in Antarctic Ecosystems

9615719本特森南极洲周围的浮冰地区至少有世界海豹数量的一半，海豹的数量约占世界总带齿生物量的80%。这些海豹是南大洋生态系统中最主要的顶级捕食者之一，它们的种群、生长模式和生活史的波动提供了一个潜在的信息来源，可以综合各种空间和时间尺度上的环境变异性。作为顶级捕食者，海豹喜欢对生态系统动态的变化，特别是由气候或生态变化引起的光合作用固定碳流向食物链较高水平的变化敏感。为了评估这些海豹在南大洋生态系统中的功能重要性，向南极条约国家提供建议的科学机构南极研究科学委员会制定了一个专注于南极群冰海豹的项目。这次研讨会将聚集一个跨学科的科学家小组，为美国对这一国际计划的贡献制定研究优先事项。特别是，跨学科邮轮计划的发展，将推动美国在解决与浮冰海豹及其环境相关的重要问题方面取得进展。

9615719 BENGTSON The pack ice region surrounding Antarctica contains at least half of the world's population of seals, with population levels comprising about eighty percent of the world' total piniped biomass. These seals are among the dominant top predators in Southern Ocean ecosystems and the fluctuation in their populations, patterns of growth and life histories provide a potential source of information about environmental variability integrated over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. As top predators, seals are like to be sensitive to changes in the dynamics of ecosystems and , in particular, variations in the flux of photosynthetically fixed carbon to higher levels of the food web caused by either climatic or ecological changes. To assess the functional significance of these seals in Southern Ocean ecosystems, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research, the scientific body which provides advice to the Antarctic Treaty nations, developed a program focused on Antarctic Pack Ice Seals. This workshop will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scientists to develop research priorities for the US contribution to this international program. In particular, the development of an interdisciplinary cruise plan, will move the US forward in addressing important questions related to pack ice seals and their environment.