Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Changes in Phytoplankton Biomass and Nutrient Quantities in Sea Ice as Responses to Light/Dark Manipulations during different Phases of the Baltic Winter 2003

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The response of Baltic Sea ice communities to changing light climate was studied in three subsequent 3 week in situ experiments on the SW coast of Finland. The investigation covered three different winter periods, short day with low solar angles leading to limited light in the ice, late winter with deep snow cover and early spring with melting snow and increasing light availability. The experimental setup consisted of transparent (no snow) and completely darkened (heavy snow cover) plexiglass tubes in which the ice cores were incubated in situ from 1 to 2 weeks. Changes in the concentrations of inorganic nutrients (NO −3 -–N, PO4 3−-–P, SiO4 −-–Si) and chlorophyll-a concentration in the phytoplankton community composition were recorded as responses to different light manipulations. Changes in inner ice light intensity in untreated ice as well as the temperature both in air and ice were recorded over the entire study period. Increased irradiance in late winter/early spring and during meltdown affected the chlorophyll-a amount in the sea ice. During these periods the phytoplankton community in the top layers decreased possibly as a consequence of photo-acclimation. Closer to the bottom of the ice, however, the increased inner ice light intensity induced algal growth. Complete exclusion of light stopped the algal growth in the whole ice column. Darkening the ice cores also slowed down the ice melting opposite to accelerated melting caused by increased light. The significant differences found in nutrient concentrations between the light and dark treatments were mostly explicable by changes in algal biomass. No obvious changes were observed in the phytoplankton community composition due to light manipulation, diatoms and heterotrophic flagellates dominating throughout the study period.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • K. R. Arrigo (2003) Primary production in sea ice D. N. Thomas G. S. Dieckmann (Eds) Sea Ice: An Introduction to its Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geology Blackwell Science Oxford 143–183

    Google Scholar 

  • J. P. Bowman S. A. McDammon M. V. Brown D. S. Nicholson T. McMeeking (1997) ArticleTitleDiversity and association of psychrophilic bacteria in Antarctic sea ice Applied and Environmental Microbiology 63 3068–3078 Occurrence Handle9251193 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXlt1Wju7o%3D

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. S. Bunt D. D. Lee (1970) ArticleTitleSeasonal primary production in Antarctic sea ice at McMurdo Sound in 1967 Journal of Marine Research 28 304–320

    Google Scholar 

  • G. F. N. Cox W. F. Weeks (1983) ArticleTitleEquations for determining the gas and brine volumes in sea-ice samples Journal of Glaciology 29 306–316

    Google Scholar 

  • N. Daugbjerg N. Vørs (1994) Preliminary results from a small scale survey of marine protists from northern Foxe basin in the vicinity of Igloolik Island, June 1992 B. Søeborg D. Jensen H. Schurmann J. F. Steffensen M. A. Curtis N. Vørs N. Daugbjerg P. Bushnell (Eds) Research on Arctic Biology, Igloolik June–July 1992, Northwest Territories, Canada HCØ Tryk Copenhagen 1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Demers J.-S. Therriault C. Descolas-Gros (1984) ArticleTitleBiomasse et composition spécifique de la microflore des glaces saisonnières: influences de la lumière et de la vitesse de congélation Marine Biology 78 185–191 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00394699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Ehn M. A. Granskog A. Reinart A. Erm (2004) ArticleTitleOptical properties of melting landfast sea ice and underlying seawater in Santala Bay, Gulf of Finland Journal of Geophysical Research 109 C09003 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003JC002042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. G. Ehrenberg (1841) ArticleTitleEinen Nachtrag zu dem Vortrage über Verbreitung und Einfluß des mikroskopischen Lebens in Süd- und Nord-Amerika Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Monatsberichte 1841 202–207

    Google Scholar 

  • C. G. Ehrenberg (1853) ArticleTitleÜber neue Anschauungen des kleinsten nördlichen Polarlebens Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Monatsberichte 1853 522–529

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Falkowski J. Raven (1997) Aquatic Photosynthesis Blackwell Science Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Frankenstein R. Garner (1967) ArticleTitleEquations for determining the brine volume of sea ice from −0.5° to −22.9 °C Journal of Glaciology 48 943–944

    Google Scholar 

  • D. L. Garrison (1991) ArticleTitleAntarctic sea ice biota American Zoologist 31 17–33

    Google Scholar 

  • D. L. Garrison K. R. Buck (1986) ArticleTitleOrganism losses during ice melting: a serious bias in sea ice community studies Polar Biology 6 237–239 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00443401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K. M. Golden S. F. Ackley V. I. Lytle (1998) ArticleTitleThe percolation phase transition in sea ice Science 282 2238–2241 Occurrence Handle9856942 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1cXotFCqtb4%3D

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • M. A. Granskog H. Kaartokallio K. Shirasawa (2003) ArticleTitleNutrient status of Baltic Sea ice: evidence for control by snow-ice formation, ice permeability, and ice algae Journal of Geophysical Research 108 C8, 3253 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2002JC001386 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXos1Kjsb8%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • M. A. Granskog M. Leppäranta T. Kawamura J. Ehn K. Shirasawa (2004) ArticleTitleSeasonal development of the properties and composition of landfast sea ice in the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea Journal of Geophysical Research 109 C02020 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003JC001874 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXnsFSnsrk%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • T. C. Grenfell (1979) ArticleTitleThe effects of ice thickness on the exchange of solar radiation over the polar oceans Journal of Glaciology 22 305–320

    Google Scholar 

  • T. C. Grenfell G. A. Maykut (1977) ArticleTitleThe optical properties of ice and snow in the Arctic Basin Journal of Glaciology 18 445–463

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Haecky S. Jonsson A. Andersson (1998) ArticleTitleInfluence of sea ice on the composition of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the northern Baltic Sea Polar Biology 20 1–8 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003000050270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HELCOM, 1988. Guidelines for the Baltic monitoring programme for the third stage. part D. Biological determinands. Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings 27D, Helsinki Commission: 16–23

  • R. Horner (1976) ArticleTitleSea ice organisms Oceanography and Marine Biology, An Annual Review 14 167–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Horner, R. A. (ed.), 1985. Sea Ice Biota. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida

  • R. Horner V. Alexander (1972) ArticleTitleAlgal populations in Arctic sea ice: an investigation of heterotrophy Limnology and Oceanography 17 454–458 Occurrence Handle10.4319/lo.1972.17.3.0454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Horner G. C. Schrader (1982) ArticleTitleRelative contributions of ice algae, phytoplankton, and benthic microalgae to primary production in nearshore regions of the Beufort Sea Arctic 35 458–503

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Ikävalko R. Gradinger (1997) ArticleTitleFlagellates and heliozoans in the Greenland sea ice studied alive using light microscopy Polar Biology 17 473–481

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Ikävalko H. A. Thomsen (1997) ArticleTitleThe Baltic Sea ice biota (March 1994): a study of the protistan community European Journal of Protistology 33 229–243

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Kaartokallio (2001) ArticleTitleEvidence for active microbial nitrogen transformations in sea ice (Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea) in midwinter Polar Biology 24 21–28 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003000000169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. Kaartokallio (2004) ArticleTitleFood web components, and physical and chemical properties of Baltic Sea ice Marine Ecology Progress Series 273 49–63 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXnt1Krur8%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • F. Koroleff (1976) Determination of nutrients K. Grasshoff (Eds) Methods of Seawater Analysis Verlag Chemie Weinheim 117–181

    Google Scholar 

  • S. T. Kottmeier C. W. Sullivan (1988) ArticleTitleSea ice microbial communities (SIMCO), 9. Effects of temperature and salinity on rates of metabolism and growth of autotrophs and heterotrophs Polar Biology 8 293–304 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00263178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Laamanen (1996) ArticleTitleCyanoprokaryotes in the Baltic Sea ice and winter plankton Algological Studies 83 423–433

    Google Scholar 

  • M. A. Lange S. F. Ackley P. Wadhams G. S. Dieckmann H. Eicken (1989) ArticleTitleDevelopment of sea ice in the Weddell Sea Annals of Glaciology 12 92–96

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Leppäranta T. Manninen (1988) The brine and gas content of sea ice with attention to low salinities and high temperatures Finnish Institute of Marine Research FIMR, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Leppäranta M. Tikkanen P. Shemeikka (1998) ArticleTitleObservations of ice and its sediments on the Baltic Sea coast Nordic Hydrology 29 199–220

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Meguro K. Ito H. Fukushima (1967) ArticleTitleIce flora (bottom type): a mechanism of primary production in polar seas and the growth of diatoms in sea ice Arctic 20 114–133

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Mälkki R. Tamsalu (1985) ArticleTitlePhysical features of the Baltic Sea Finnish Marine Research 252 23–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. Okolodkov (1993a) ArticleTitleA checklist of algal species found in the East Siberian Sea in May 1987 Polar Biology 13 7–11 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00236578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Y. Okolodkov (1993b) ArticleTitleAlgae in the annual sea ice at Hooker Island, Franz Josef Land, in August 1991 Polish Polar Reseach 14 25–32

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Palosuo (1961) ArticleTitleChrystal structure of brackish and fresh-water ice International Association of Scientific Hydrology 54 9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Perovich (1998) The optical properties of sea ice M. Leppäranta (Eds) Physics of Ice Covered Seas NumberInSeries1 Helsinki University Press Helsinki 195–230

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Seinä J. Peltola (1991) ArticleTitleDuration of the ice season and statistics of fast ice thickness along the Finnish coast 1961–1990 Finnish Marine Research 258 1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Spindler (1990) A comparison of Artic and Antarctic sea ice and the effects of different properties on sea ice biota U. Bleil J. Thiende (Eds) Geological History of the Polar Oceans: Arctic versus Antarctic Kluwer Academic Publishers Amsterdam 173–186

    Google Scholar 

  • C. W. Sullivan A. C. Palmisano S. Kottmeier S. M. Grossi R. Moe (1985) The influence of light on growth and development of sea ice microbial communities in McMurdo Sound W. R. Siegfried P. R. Condy R. M. Laws (Eds) Antarctic Nutrient Cycles and Food Webs Springer Berlin 78–83

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Utermöhl (1958) ArticleTitleZur Vervollkommnung der quantitativen Phytoplankton-Methodik Mitteilungen der Internationalen Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie 9 1–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Weeks, W. F., A. J. Gow, P. Kosloff, S. & Digby-Argus, 1990. The internal structure, composition and properties of brackish water ice from the Bay of Bothnia. In Ackley, S. F. & W. F. Weeks (eds.), Sea Ice Properties and Processes. Proceedings of the W.F. Weeks sea ice symposium. US Army Corps of Engineers, CRREL Monograph 90–1. Hanover, New Hampshire

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jens Ehn

    Present address: Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, FI-10900, Hanko, Finland

    Janne-Markus Rintala, Jonna Piiparinen & Harri Kuosa

  2. Finnish Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 33, FI-00931, Helsinki, Finland

    Janne-Markus Rintala, Jonna Piiparinen & Riitta Autio

  3. Division of Geophysics, Department of Physical Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64 FIN-00014, Finland

    Jens Ehn

Authors
  1. Janne-Markus Rintala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jonna Piiparinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jens Ehn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Riitta Autio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Harri Kuosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janne-Markus Rintala.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rintala, JM., Piiparinen, J., Ehn, J. et al. Changes in Phytoplankton Biomass and Nutrient Quantities in Sea Ice as Responses to Light/Dark Manipulations during different Phases of the Baltic Winter 2003. Hydrobiologia 554, 11–24 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-1002-y

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-1002-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation