Life Sciences Commons^™

Alteration Of The Food Web Along The Antarctic Peninsula In Response To A Regional Warming Trend, Mark A. Moline, Herve Claustre, Thomas K. Frazer, Oscar Schofield, Maria Vernet

Biological Sciences

In the nearshore coastal waters along the Antarctic Peninsula, a recurrent shift in phytoplankton community structure, from diatoms to cryptophytes, has been documented. The shift was observed in consecutive years (1991–1996) during the austral summer and was correlated in time and space with glacial melt-water runoff and reduced surface water salinities. Elevated temperatures along the Peninsula will increase the extent of coastal melt-water zones and the seasonal prevalence of cryptophytes. This is significant because a change from diatoms to cryptophytes represents a marked shift in the size distribution of the phytoplankton community, which will, in turn, impact the zooplankton assemblage. …