exam 2 Flashcards
continental shelf
extends out into the ocean and the steep drop is the slope
abyssal plane
about 600 m down and very high pressure and an overall extreme environment
photic zone
the zone where active photosynthesis takes place
-up to 200 m down
features of antarctic continental shelf
continental shelf is very narrow, but also deeper than other continents (about 500 m)
-helps to isolate the continent and keep it’s life endemic
how much of antarctic life is endemic
80%
benthic biodiversity in Antarctica and endemism
the benthos has surprising diversity
-sea stars, scallops, sponges, urchins, clams, and bivalves
sea ice and nutrients
sea ice complicates the photic zone in the winter
-reduces light penetration
The ice has cold saline water below it which sinks and this water is very nutrient rich from the algae in the sea ice.
when upwells increases productivity around antarctica
pyconogonids
sea spiders: they are very diverse in the bathos
-more so than anywhere else
bull kelp characteristics
each lengths greater than 20 m
-strongest in the world to sustain themselves in heavy seas
kelp community in antarctic peninsula
has the highest diversity of the inshore marine environment
-more than 90 species
and is a nice bed for seals
what species are in the Antarctic Peninsula kelp
worms, mites, sea-stars, sea-cucumbers, and numerous curstaceans
biological pump in ethic zone
carbon is sequestered/trapped in the benthos for hundreds of years by dead singing algae/datoms/etc
king crab invasion
Inshore waters are colder than deep waters due to the katabatic winds and circumpolar current, but the average water temperature has increased by 1ºC. This change caused more CO2 dissolved, change in chemical pathways and lower pH. Change in water temperature is a slow process. The Antarctic Peninsula is now 9ºC in the winter. Cold water limits diversity to endemic species, but the warming trend allows other species to invade.
potential impact of king crab invasion
devastating to certain species and change the community structure because many of the animals here haven’t developed a defense against this animal
sea ice algae
sea ice formation in the late summer traps marine algae in pockets of brine. the algae remains dormant through the winter. when the ice begins to melt in the spring it acts as a greenhouse and algal growth occurs. when ice fully melts, algae released into water which stimulates food chain.
what is the relationship between sea ice, algae, a nd krill
thicker ice means more algae and so more krill
heavy vs light ice years
heavier ice means more brine, which means more algae, which means higher productivity
why more ice with warmer temps
2012 was a heavy ice year, but also one of the warmest on record. The warmer air caused an increase in the katabatic winds which caused an increase in sea ice formation.
sea ice microhabitats and community
Melt channels in the ice have bacteria/worms due to the brine that grazers can gain access to. Sea ice is dominated by small pennate diatoms.
primary production and timing in new vs multiyear ice, marginal ice zone
Primary productivity peaks in sea ice in November (summer) before it peaks in the marginal ice zone/open water as it is primarily annual ice (perfect timing for productivity due to reproduction in summer). Multi-year ice peaks later due to light blockage (snow accumulation).
antarctic krill
keystone species bc fed on by penguins, fur seals, and balloon whales. Dependent on the algae in sea ice. Productivity is essential for the food chain
-can cause a bottom-up cascade
Found in the Antarctic Peninsula
krill life cycle
spawn in January-march laying eggs at surface which sink 2000m. eggs hatch after 10 days, larval krill grow and move up the water column. Adult krill live 7-9 years
vertical migration in krill
can track krill cohorts through penguin diet sampling
crystal krill and how it differed from antarctic krill
Crystal krill are smaller than antarctic krill. They’re more southern (74º latitude and higher). The eggs don’t sink. Larval and adult forms occupy the same shallow water associated with sea ice.