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Composition and significance of picophytoplankton in Antarctic waters

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Abstract

Filter fractionated picophytoplankton from Antarctic coastal waters (summer 2001) represented only 7–33% of total phytoplankton, even though total stocks were low (average Chl a = 0.32 μg l−1, range = 0.13–1.03 μg l−1). Though all cells passed a 2 μm filter, electron microscopy revealed most cells were over 2 μm, principally Parmales, Phaeocystis sp., and small diatoms. CHEMTAX analysis of HPLC pigment data suggested type 8 haptophytes (e.g. Phaeocystis sp. plus Parmales and pelagophytes) contributed 7–58% of picoplanktonic chlorophyll a, type 6 haptophytes (e.g. coccolithophorids) 18–59%, diatoms 0–18% (mostly type 2 diatoms, e.g. Pseudonitzschia sp., 0–15%), prasinophytes 0–17%, with cell fragments of cryptophytes 0–40%, and dinoflagellates 0–11%. Only stocks of type 8 haptophytes and prasinophytes differed significantly due to successional changes. Zeaxanthin concentrations exceeded estimates from previous cyanobacterial counts and may derive from non-photosynthetic bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the captain and crew of the RSV Aurora Australis for their support at sea. We also express our thanks to Australian Antarctic Division staff Dr. K. Westwood for her collaboration in sampling, Ms. F. Scott for her identification of diatoms, to Drs. G. W. Hosie and S. G. Candy for statistical advice, as well as the S-Plus macro used for analysis (SGC), and two anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions. This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Programme through the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC).

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  1. Harvey J. Marchant

    Present address: Department of Earth and Marine Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS, 7050, Australia

    Simon W. Wright, Harvey J. Marchant, Andrew T. Davidson, Rick L. van den Enden & Geraldine V. Nash

  2. Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, Private Box 80, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Simon W. Wright, Harvey J. Marchant, Andrew T. Davidson & Rick L. van den Enden

  3. Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya-cho, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Akira Ishikawa

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Correspondence to Simon W. Wright.

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Wright, S.W., Ishikawa, A., Marchant, H.J. et al. Composition and significance of picophytoplankton in Antarctic waters. Polar Biol 32, 797–808 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0582-9

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