Abstract
The metazoan fauna of platelet layers was investigated at Drescher Inlet, Weddell Sea, Antarctica in the late summer of 1995. Twenty-eight species were found, many of them new to science. The most abundant subclass was the Copepoda, of which almost 90% of the individuals belong to only three species: Drescheriella glacialis, Stephos longipes and Paralabidocera antarctica. Among copepods, Harpacticoida was the largest group, represented by 16 species. Total abundance varied between 40 and 120 individuals l−1. Abundances and population structure were comparable to other especially porous sea-ice habitats. Results indicate competitive exclusion among the three dominant species. The finding of a profuse meiofauna in platelet layers may explain enigmatic concentrations of ammonium and phosphate commonly detected there.
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Accepted: 5 February 1999
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Günther, S., George, K. & Gleitz, M. High sympagic metazoan abundance in platelet layers at Drescher Inlet, Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biol 22, 82–89 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050393
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050393