Abstract
We investigated seasonal variation of microalgal assemblages, sea water temperature, salinity and suspended solid and the parameters measured daily from January 1998 to October 1999 at a nearshore shallow-water in Marian Cove, Maxwell Bay, King George Island, the Antarctic. Annual mean surface water temperature was -0.3$0^{\circ}C$ and the highest water temperature was 4.53$^{\circ}C$ (22 January 1999) and the lowest water temperature was -2.07$^{\circ}C$ (23 August 1998). Annual mean salinity was 33.38 psu, ranging from 42.80 psu (6 January 1999) to 19.50 psu (6 June 1999). Annual mean suspended solid (SS) during two years was 34.14 mgㆍ1$^{-1}$, ranging from 60.62 mgㆍ1$^{-1}$(7 March 1998) to 12.90 mgㆍ1$^{-1}$ (26 December 1998). Chlorophyll $\alpha$ (Chl $\alpha$) concentrations were measured in order to know seasonal variations of microalgae in the surface seawater. Annual mean of total Chl a concentration was 0.55$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$, the highest Chl $\alpha$ concentration (12.16$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$) appeared in 4 October 1998, the lowest Chl $\alpha$ concentration appeared 0.19$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$, Monthly mean total Chl $\alpha$ concentration was high in October 1998 (1.32$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$) and low in July on 1998 (0.28$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$). Annual mean nano-sized Chl $\alpha$ concentration was 0.40$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$, monthly mean nano -sized Chl $\alpha$ concentration was high in November 1998 (0.90$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$), and low in July 1999 (0.22$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$). Annual mean micro-sized Chl $\alpha$ concentration was 0.15$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$ monthly mean micro-sized Chl $\alpha$ concentration was high in October 1998 (0.81$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$), and low July 1998, January, February and September 1999 (0.05$\mu\textrm{g}$ㆍ1$^{-1}$). More than 65% of total Chl $\alpha$ was concentrated during spring and summer time between October and March. Microalgal variation appeared to be due to physical factors of seawater in the Antarctic nearshore from 1998 to 1999. The reason why micro-sized Chl $\alpha$ did not increase during austral summer was the bay had been frozen by decrease of water temperature. We think that total microalgal abundance was decreased because the summer microalgal abundance was determined by variation of water temperature during winter season. [Chl $\alpha$ concentration, Microalgal assembalges, Seasonal variation, the Antarctic nearshore].
