Primary Productivity in Antarctic Pack Ice: Time Series Studies at Ice Station

这项拟议研究的意义在于，这是海冰生态学家第一次有机会获得南极浮冰生态系统微生物生物量积累、生长速度和生产力的时间序列数据。这一信息对于了解整个南大洋的生产力至关重要。南大洋表面覆盖2000万平方公里的浮冰。由于AnZone项目的多学科性质，Sullivan博士建议用第一年和第二年的浮冰调查初级生产力和影响微藻和细菌组合生长和发展的因素。安区项目是一个位于威德尔海西部的国际合作项目。在AnZone项目下计划进行的研究将大大有助于理解海冰中的生物速率过程。此外，沙利文博士建议将自然细胞新陈代谢指标作为浮冰微藻自然生长的指标。在整个研究过程中，沙利文博士将检验这一假设，即南大洋冰盖区域的相当大一部分初级和次生生产力发生在浮冰内部，并由与浮冰栖息地广泛的冰晶表面相关的微藻和细菌调节。

The significance of the proposed research is that it is the first chance sea ice ecologists have of obtaining time series data on microbial biomass accumulation, growth rates and productivity in the Antarctic pack ice ecosystem. This information is essential to understanding overall Southern Ocean productivity. Pack ice covers 20 million square kilometers of the surface of the Southern Ocean. Because of the multi-disciplinary nature of the AnZone project, Dr. Sullivan proposes to investigate primary production and factors that influence the growth and development of microalgal and bacterial assemblages with the first and second year pack ice. AnZone project is an international cooperative program located in western Weddell Sea. The research planned under the AnZone project will contribute substantially to understanding biological rate processes in sea ice. Additionally, Dr. Sullivan proposes to examine indicators of natural cell metabolism as indices of natural growth of pack ice microalgae. Throughout these investigations, Dr. Sullivan will test the hypothesis that a substantial fraction of primary and secondary productivity within the ice covered region of the Southern Ocean occurs within the pack ice and that it is mediated by microalgae and bacteria associated with the extensive ice crystal surfaces of the pack ice habitat.