Gross and net production during the spring bloom along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Issue 1 (7th November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goldman, Johanna A. L.; Kranz, Sven A.; Young, Jodi N.; Tortell, Philippe D.; Stanley, Rachel H. R.; Bender, Michael L.; Morel, Francois M. M.
• Is Part Of: New phytologist. Volume 205:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 182
• Page End: 191
• Publication Date: 2014-11-07
• Subjects: Botany -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.13125
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-646X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="nph13125-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <list id="nph13125-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <list-item> <p>This study explores some of the physiological mechanisms responsible for high productivity near the shelf in the Western Antarctic Peninsula despite a short growing season and cold temperature.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>We measured gross and net primary production at Palmer Station during the summer of 2012/2013 via three different techniques: incubation with H<sub>2</sub><sup>18</sup>O; incubation with <sup>14</sup>CO<sub>2</sub>; and <italic>in situ</italic> measurements of O<sub>2</sub>/Ar and triple oxygen isotope. Additional laboratory experiments were performed with the psychrophilic diatom <italic>Fragilariopsis cylindrus</italic>.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>During the spring bloom, which accounted for more than half of the seasonal gross production at Palmer Station, the ratio of net‐to‐gross production reached a maximum greater than <italic>c</italic>. 60%, among the highest ever reported. The use of multiple techniques showed that these high ratios resulted from low heterotrophic respiration and very low daylight autotrophic respiration. Laboratory experiments revealed a similar ratio of net‐to‐gross O<sub>2</sub> production in <italic>F. cylindrus</italic> and provided the first experimental evidence for an important level of cyclic electron flow (CEF) in this organism.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>The low ratio of community respiration to gross primary production observed during the bloom at Palmer Station may be characteristic of high latitude coastal ecosystems and partially supported by a very active CEF in psychrophilic phytoplankton.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>