微量元素在南大洋浮游植物生产力调节方面发挥着重要作用，微量元素限制是解释南大洋HNLC现象的主流观点。微量元素也是指示水团交换、古生产力、岩源输入及历史性污染输入的重要指标。但是目前对南大洋，尤其是普里兹湾微量元素来源、环境背景值、通量及其对浮游植物营养过程中作用的认识还存在着巨大的知识缺口。.本项目拟建立普里兹湾微量元素Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Co百年尺度的沉积地层记录，利用浮游植物标志物反演浮游植物生物量及其群落结构与微量元素之间的互动响应，探讨微量元素对东南极地区气候环境变化的反馈。通过时间序列沉积物捕获器研究微量元素沉降通量及其季节性变化，并将沉积物和沉降颗粒物有机结合，通过生源要素OC、BSi和地壳元素Al（Ti或Li），探讨生物源性和岩源性输入在普里兹湾微量元素来源中的比重关系。

In the Southern Ocean of high nutrients low chlorophylla regions, trace metals play a key role in regulating phytoplankton productivity; trace elements limitation is the main explanation for HNLC. Trace metals are also important tracers for water mass, paleoproductivity, lithological inputs, and historic pollution inputs. However large knowledge gaps remain in the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in these areas，especially in the resource,fluxes and background of trace metals and their influence on the phytoplankton biomass and srtucture..This proposal is applied to reconstruct the trace metals records in the sediment cores of hundreds of years，study trace metal fluxes and seasonal changes.Combining with the biological elements, such as organic carbon and biological silicon, and lithological element Alumium in the sedimental cores and particulate fluxes, the importance of biological resource and lithological resource of the trace metals in the Prydz Bay will be discussed; according to the phytoplankton biomarker such as brassicasterol and dinosterol in the sedimental cores, phytoplankton biomass and their structure of dominant species ( diatom and dinoflagellate ) during sedimentation will be revealed, in order to reconstruct the interaction and response between trace metals and phytoplankton variable. The emphasis is the influence of trace metals on the phytoplankton biomass and structure, and its response to the climate and environmental changes in east Antarctica.