Summary
The activity of the respiratory electron transport system (ETS) of the microplankton (<240 μm size) was measured in the Northern Weddell Sea during EPOS 1, in the Close Pack Ice (CPI), and in the ice edge (Outer and Inner Marginal Zones, OMIZ and IMIZ). During early spring the activity increased with time and in the pack ice-open water direction. The temporal trend was more obvious than the spatial one. ETS activity ranged from 0.01 to 1.25 ml O2 m−3 h−1 under the ice and from 0.1 to 1.6 ml O2 m−3 h−1 in the open water at the ice edge. Depth-integrated ETS activity in the upper 300 m ranged from 13 to 130 ml O2 m−2h−1. 60% to 80% of the activity took place above 100 m in the OMIZ in the prebloom conditions at the end of the cruise. ETS/Chl a ratios showed the importance of microheterotrophs under the ice, versus a greater phytoplankton dominance in the ice edge-open water zone. The carbon-specific activity reached a maximum (0.43 day−1) in the innermost zone of the CPI where bacteria dominated. Respiratory activity under the ice is important in producing the oxygen deficit observed, due to the negative balance between photosynthesis and respiration. The ETS activity was at the lower range of that found in the region in summer and is comparable to that measured in other oligotrophic, stratified systems in oceanic areas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bailiff MD, Jones D, Nawrocki M, Tilbrook B, Haberstroh P, Tien G, Taylor GT, Karl DM (1987) RACER: Bacterial abundance and thymidine incorporation in the Bransfield Strait, 1986–1987. Antarct J US 21:150–153
Bolter J, Dawson R (1982) Heterothrophic utilization of biochemical compounds in Antarctic waters. Neth J Sea Res 16:315–332
Cho BC, Azam F (1990) Biogeochemical significance of bacterial biomass in the ocean's euphotic zone. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 63:253–260
Delille D (1992) Marine bacterioplankton at the Weddell Sea ice edge: distribution of psychrophilic and psychrotrophic populations. Polar Bio 12 (in press)
Estrada M, Martinez R, Mathot S (1992) Respiratory electron transport system activity in microplankton of the Weddell and Scotia Seas during late spring-early summer. Relationships with other biological parameters. Polar Biol 12:35–42
Gieskes WW, Tilzer MM, Heusel R, Kraay G (1989) The underwater light climate. Ber Polarforsch 62:75–83
Gordon AL, Chen CTA, Metcalf WG (1984) Winter mixed layers entrainment of Weddell Deep Water. J Geophys Res 89/C:637–640
Harrison WG (1986) Respiration and its size-dependence in microplankton populations from surface waters of the Canadian Arctic. Polar Biol 6:145–152
Harrison WG, Platt T (1986) Photosynthesis-irradiance relationships in polar and temperate phytoplankton populations. Polar Biol 5:153–164
Harrison WG, Li WKW, Smith JC, Head EJH, Longhurst AR (1987) Depth profiles of plankton, particulate organic matter and microbial activity in the Eastern Canadian Arctic during summer. Polar Biol 7:207–224
Hochachka PW, Somero GN (1973) Strategies of biochemical adaptation. Saunders, Philadelphia, 358 pp
Hodson RE, Azam F, Carlucci AF, Fuhrman JA, Karl DM, Holm-Hansen O (1981) Microbial uptake of dissolved organic matter in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Mar Biol 61:89–94
Ikeda (1989) Are antarctic zooplankton metabolically more cold-adapted than arctic Zooplankton/ An intra-generic comparison of oxygen consumption rates. J Plankton Res 11:619–624
Kenner RA, Ahmed SL (1975) Measurement of electron transport activities in marine plankton. Mar Biol 33:119–128
Lange MA, Eicken H (1989) Sea ice conditions. Ber Polarforsch 62:55–63
Larsson AM, Kraay GW, Gieskes WWC, Bouquegneau JM (1992) Influence of the ice-cover on the balance between production and consumption of oxygen in the Weddell Sea. Pol Biol 12 (in press)
Li WKW, Smith JC, Platt T (1984) Temperature response of photosynthetic capacity and carboxilase activity in Arctic marine phytoplankton. Mar Ecol Prog Ser:237–243
Martinez R (1989) The activity of the respiratory electron transport system in microplankton. Ber Polarforsch 62:138–141
Martínez R (1991) Biomass and respiratory activity of microplankton in the Barents Sea. Polar Res 10:193–200
Martínez R, Arnone RA, Velasquez Z (1990) Chlorophyll a and respiratory electron transport activity in microplankton from the surface waters of the Western Mediterranean. J Geophys Res 95:1615–1522
Neori A, Holm-Hansen O (1982) Effects of temperature on rates of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 1:33–38
Nothig EM, Larsson AM, Dieckmann G, Kuosa H, Ljungek G Meyer K, Shelstedt PI (1989) The under-ice water layer. Ber Polarforsch 62:103–106
Packard TT (1971) Measurement of electron transport system activity in marine plankton. J Mar Res 29:235–244
Packard TT (1985a) Measurement of electron transport activity of microplankton. Adv Aquat Microbiol 3:207–261
Packard TT (1985b) Oxygen consumption in the ocean: measuring and mapping with enzyme analysis. In: Zirino A (ed) Mapping strategies in chemical oceanography. American Chemical Society, pp 177–209
Packard TT, Devol AH, King FD (1975) The effect of temperature on the respiratory electron transport system in marine plankton. Limnol Oceanogr 16:60–70
Packard TT, Williams P J leB (1981) Rates of respiratory oxygen consumption and electron transport in surface sea water from the northwest Atlantic. Oceanol Acta 4:351–358
Palmisano AC, Beeler SooHoo J, Sullivan CW (1987) Effects of four environmental variables on photosynthesis-irradiance relationships in Antarctic sea-ice microalgae. Mar Biol 94:299–306
Priscu JC, Palmisano AC (1986) Contribution of carbon fixed by nitrifying bacteria during ice cover in McMurdo Soud, Antarctica. Antarct J US 20:171–172
Priscu JC, Palmisano AC, Priscu LR, Sullivan CW (1989) Temperature dependence of inorganic nitrogen uptake and assimilation in Antarctic sea-ice microalgae. Polar Biol 9:443–446
Schalk (1990) Biological activity in the Antarctic zooplankton community. Polar Biol 10:405–411
Smetacek V, Scharek R, Nothig EM (1990) Seasonal and regional variation in the pelagial and its relationship to the life history cycle of krill. In: Hempel G, Kerry KR (eds) Antarctic ecosystems. Springer, Berlin, pp 103–114
Sullivan CW, Cota GF, Krempin DW, Smith WO (1990) Distribution and activity of bacterioplankton in the marginal ice zone of the Weddell-Scotia Sea confluence during austral spring. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 63:239–252
Tilzer MM, Dubinsky Z (1987) Effects of temperature and day length on the mass balance of Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 7:35–42
Tilzer MM, Elbraechter M, Gieskes WW, Beese B (1986) Lighttemperature interactions in the control of photosynthesis in Antarctic phytoplankton. Polar Biol 5:105–111
Vosjan JH, Olanczuk-Neyman KM (1991) Influence of temperature on respiratory ETS-activity of micro-organisms from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica. Neth J Sea Res 28:221–225
Wassman P, Martinez R, Vernet M (1992) Respiration and sedimentation of organic matter in the Barents Sea. Cont Shelf Res 12 (in press)
Williams P leB (1984) A review of measurements of respiration rates of marine plankton populations. In: Hobbie JE, Williams P J leB (eds) Heterotrophic activity in the sea (Nato Conf Ser IV), vol 15. Plenum Press, New York, pp 357–389
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martínez, R., Estrada, M. Respiratory electron transport activity of microplankton in the Weddell Sea during early spring: influence of the ice cover and the ice edge. Polar Biol 12, 275–282 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238270
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238270