• ALGAE
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2003

Two isolated Antarctic marine diatoms, Chaetoceros neogracile VanLandingham and Stellarima microtrias (Ehrenberg) Hasle and Sims were examined to show changes of growth and uptake rate of nitrate due to UV-B irradiance. Chlorophyll (chl) a concentration was regarded as the growth index of diatom. The diatoms were treated with UV-B radiation and cultured for 4 days under cool-white fluorescent light without UV-B radiation. Two levels of UV-B exposures were applies: 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$. Durations of UV-B treatment were 20, 40 and 60 minutes under 6 W $m^{-2}$ and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hrs under 1 W $m^{-2}$. The control groups were cultured at the same time without UV-B radiation. The growth rates of two diatoms decreased under 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B irradiances than that of control group. After 4 days, chl a concentrations of C. neogracile were increased more than 4 times from 133 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 632 μgo$l^{-1}$ in control group. However, the concentration of experimental groups under 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B were only increased from 139 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 421 μgo$l^{-1}$ during one hour and the chl a concentrations were decreased from 144 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 108 μgo$l^{-1}$ during five hour. Growth of diatom dramatically more decreased under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B than 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B. The chl a concentration of experimental groups under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B for one hour was only increased from 111 μgo$l^{-1}$ to 122 μgo$l^{-1}$. In the case of S. microtrias showed also similar pattern to C. neogracile by UV-B radiation. The uptake rates of nitrate by the two strains were decreased abruptly under 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B irradiances. When two strains were treated under 1 and 6 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B during one hour, the strains were only continued growth and uptake of nitrate under 1 W $m^{-2}$ UV-B. This experimental evidence shows that exposure to UV-B radiation especially to high irradiance of UV-B decreases diatom survival and causes lower decrease of nutrient concentrations by microalgae in Antarctic water. Furthermore, evidence suggests that microalgal communities confined to near-surface waters in Antarctica will be harmed by increased UV-B radiation, thereby altering the dynamics of Antarctic marine ecosystems.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.442-453
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• 2002

A total of 64 species belonging to 23 genera of diatom fossils are identified from the Core GC 98-06 in the southern Drake Passage, Antarctica. The diatom assemblages are dominated by Actinocyclus actinochilus, Coscinodiscus asteromphalus, Eucampia antarctica, Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, Thalassiosira lentiginosa, T. ritscheri and T. anguste-lineata, which are about 73% of the assemblage. Open water species are more abundant than sea ice species in the diatom assemblages of the core. Fragilariopsis. kerguelensis and Thalassiosira lentiginosa are valuable indicators of the habitats. Especially, F. kerguelensis represent the influence of waters from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Sea ice taxa represents the influence of cold waters from Bransfield Strait Water and melt water from the sea-ice at during warm periods. The reworked diatoms such as Denticulopsis dimopha (Miocene) and D. hustedtii (Pliocene) are occurred with Quaternary species (Actinocyclus actinochilus, Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, Thalassiosira lentiginosa, and T. glacilis). The presence of reworked diatoms indicates the transportation of the older diatoms into the Drake passage from the circumference sediments, due to strong bottom current activity of Antarctic circumpolar deep water.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.139-147
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• 2009

Microalgae using a submersible fluorescence probe in water column (up to 100 m) were measured during the austral summer of 2006 (February) in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica (triangular-shaped embayment in the Indian sector of Southern Ocean). Concurrently, environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity and nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium, urea) uptake rates were measured. The concentration of phytoplankton is relatively high due to availability of high nutrients and low sea surface temperature. Phytoplankton community is dominated by diatoms whereas cryptophytes are in low concentration. The maximum concentration of total chlorophyll is 14.87 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ and is attributed to upwelled subsurface winter water due to local wind forcing, availability of micro-nutrients and increased attenuation of photosynthetically available radiation (PAR). Concentration of blue-green algae is low compared to that of green algae because of low temperature. Comparatively high concentration of yellow substances is due to the influence of Antarctic melt-water whereas cryptophytes are low due to high salinity and mixed water column. Varied concentrations of phytoplankton at different times of Fluoroprobe measurements suggest that the coastal waters of Prydz Bay are influenced by changing sub-surface water temperature and salinity due to subsurface upwelling induced by local winds as also melting/freezing processes in late summer. The productivity is high in coastal water due to the input of macro as well as micro-nutrients.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.625-631
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• 2003

While phytoplankton diversity and productivity in the Southern Ocean has been widely studied in recent years, most attention has been given to elucidating environmental factors that affect the dynamics of micro-plankton (mainly diatoms) and nano-plankton (mainly Phaeocystis antarctica). Only limited effects have been given to studying the occurrence and the potential risks associated with the blooming of dinoflagellates in the relevant waters. This study focused on the appearance and toxicological characteristics of a toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamarense, identified and isolated from the Drake Passage in a research cruise from November to December 2001 The appearance of A. tamarense in the Southern Ocean indicates the risk of a paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) outbreak there and is therefore of scientific concern. Results showed that while the overall quantity of A. tamarense in water samples from 30meters below the sea surface often comprised less than 0.1% of the total population of phytoplankton, the highest concentration of A. tamarense (20 cells $L^{-1}$) was recorded in the portion of the Southern Ocean between the southern end of South America and the Falkland Islands. Waters near the Polar Front contained the second highest concentrations of 10-15 cells $L^{-1}$. A. tamarense was however rarely found in waters near the southern side of the Polar Front, indicating that cold sea temperatures near the Antarctic ice does not favor the growth of this dinoflagellate. One strain of A. tamarense from this cruise was isolated and cultured for further study in the laboratory. Experiments showed that this strain of A. tamarense has a high tolerance to temperature variations and could survive at temperatures ranging from $5-26^{\circ}C$. This shows the cosmopolitan nature off. tamarense. With regard to the algal toxins produced, this strain of A. tamarense produced mainly C-2 toxins but very little saxitoxin and gonyailtoxin. The toxicological property of this A. tamarense strain coincided with a massive death of penguins in the Falkland Islands in December 2002 to January 2003.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.141-153
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• 2023

Biological pump processes generated by diatom production in the surface water of the Southern Ocean play an important role in exchanging CO₂ gas between the atmosphere and ocean. In this study, the biogenic opal content of the sediments was measured to elucidate the variation in the primary production of diatoms in the surface water of the Southern Ocean since the last glacial period. A piston core (COR-1bPC) was collected from the Conrad Rise, which is located in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. The sediments were mainly composed of siliceous ooze, and sediment lightness increased and magnetic susceptibility decreased in an upward direction. The biogenic opal content was low (38.9%) during the last glacial period and high (73.4%) during the Holocene, showing a similar variation to that of Antarctic ice core ΔT and CO₂ concentration. In addition, the variation of biogenic opal content in core COR-1bPC is consistent with previous results reported in the Antarctic Zone, south of the Antarctic Polar Front, in the Southern Ocean. The glacial-interglacial biogenic opal production was influenced by the extent of sea ice coverage and degree of water column stability. During the last glacial period, the diatom production was reduced due to the penetration of light being limited in the euphotic zone by the extended sea ice coverage caused by the lowered seawater temperature. In addition, the formation of a strong thermocline in more extensive areas of sea ice coverage led to stronger water column stability, resulting in reduced diatom production due to the reduction in the supply of nutrient-rich subsurface water caused by a decrease in upwelling intensity. Under such environmental circumstances, diatom productivity decreased in the Antarctic Zone during the last glacial period, but the biogenic opal content increased rapidly under warming conditions with the onset of deglaciation.