Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Biological activity in the antarctic zooplankton community

  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Zooplankton biomass and respiratory ETS activity were studied along a transect at 49°W, running from open Scotia Sea water (57°S) into the Weddell Sea pack ice (62°S) in November–December 1988. Zooplankton biomass and respiratory activity were relatively high in the ice edge region and in the frontal zone separating the Scotia Sea from waters in the south; low biomasses and activities were encountered under the pack ice. The higher activities in the frontal zone were mainly attributed to locally higher water temperatures, while in the ice edge region they were probably related to changes of the Zooplankton population into more active developmental stages. This development in life stages is possibly a response to ice edge generated phytoplankton blooms. A comparison of the most abundant Zooplankton taxa indicated that amphipods and euphausiids had relatively the highest weight specific ETS activities. The developmental stages of Euphausia superba, from juvenile to sexually mature adults, showed a large variability in ETS activity; only the most inactive stages were found under the pack ice. The difference in respiration between the most active and inactive stages was at least a factor of 6 and is of importance to the overwintering of the species in the under ice habitat.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainley DG, Fraser WR, Sullivan CW, Torres JJ, Hopkins TL, Smith WO (1986) Antarctic mesopelagic micronekton: evidence from seabirds that pack ice affects community structure. Science 232:847–849

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker A de C, Clarke MR, Harris MJ (1973) The NIO combination net RMT (1+8) and further developments of rectangular mid-water trawls. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 53:167–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Båmstedt U (1979) Seasonal variation in respiratory rate and ETS activity of deep water zooplankton from the Swedish coast. In: Naylor E, Hartnoll RG (eds) Proc 13th Europ Mar Biol Symp. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 267–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Bidigare RR, King FD, Biggs DC (1982) Glutamate dehydrogenase and respiratory electron transport system activity in the Gulf of Mexico zooplankton. J Plankton Res 4:895–912

    Google Scholar 

  • Cederløf U, Ober S, Smidt R, Swanson A, Veth C (1989) Hydrography. In: Hempel I, Schalk PH, Smetacek V (eds) The expedition ANTARCTIS VII/3 (EPOS leg 2) of RV Polarstern in 1988/1989. Ber Polarforsch 63:14–19

  • Cuzin-Roudy J (1987) Gonad history of the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba DANA during its breeding season. Polar Biol 7:237–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuzin-Roudy J, Schalk PH (1989) Macrozooplankton-biomass, development and activity. In: Hempel I, Schalk PH, Smetacek V (eds) The expedition ANTARCTIS VII/3 (EPOS leg 2) of RV Polarstern in 1988/1989. Ber Polarforsch 65:146–159

  • Daly KL, Macaulay MC (1988) Abundance and distribution of krill in the ice edge zone of the Weddell Sea, Austral spring 1983. Deep-Sea Res 35:21–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Fofonov PW, Verity PB, Smayda TJ (1986) Grazing by Arcartia and other crustacean zooplankton on Phaeocystis. Abstracts, Joint Meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography and the Physiological Society of America: 34–34

  • Fransz HG (1988) Vernal abundance, structure and development of epipelagic copepod populations of the eastern Weddell Sea (Antarctica). Polar Biol 9:107–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Franeker JA van (1989) Sea ice conditions. In: Hempel I, Schalk PH, Smetacek V (eds) The expedition ANTARCTIS VII/3 (EPOS) of RV Polarstern in 1988/1989. Ber Polarforsch 65:10–13

  • Fraser WR, Ainley DG (1986) Ice edges and seabird occurrence in Antarctica. BioScience 36:258–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Fryxell GA, Kendrick GA (1988) Austral spring microalgae across the Weddell Sea ice edge: spatial relationships found along a northward transect during AMERIEZ 83. Deep-Sea Res 35:1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Garison DL, Sullivan CW, Ackley SF (1986) Sea ice microbial communities in Antarctica. BioScience 36:243–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Hempel I, Schalk PH, Smetacek V (1989) The expedition ANTARCTIS VII/3 (EPOS leg 2) of RV Polarstern in 1988/1989. Ber Polarforsch 63:1–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirche HJ (1984) Temperature and metabolism of Plankton I. Respiration of Antarctic zooplankton at different temperatures with a comparison of Antarctic and Nordic krill. Comp Biochem Physiol 77A:361–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirche HJ, Bohrer RH (1987) Reproduction of the Arctic copepod Calanus glacialis in Fram Strait. Mar Biol 94:11–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Holeton GF (1974) Metabolic cold adaptation of polar fish: fact or artifact? Physiol Zool 47:137–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm-Hansen O, Huntley M (1984) Feeding requirements of krill in relation to food sources. J Crust Biol 4 (spec no 1): 156–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins TL (1985) The zooplankton community of Croker Passage, Antarctic Penisula. Polar Biol 4:161–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins TL, Torres JJ (1988) The zooplankton community in the vicinity of the ice edge, Western Weddell Sea, March 1986. Polar Biol 9:79–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda T (1970) Relation between respiratory rate and body size in marine planktonic animals as a function of the temperature of habitat. Bull Fac Fish Hokkaido Univ 21:91–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda T (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

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda T, Hing Fay E (1981) The metabolic activity of zooplankton from the Antarctic Ocean. Aust J Mar Freshwater Res 32:921–930

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda T, Skjoldal HR (1980) The effect of laboratory conditions on the extrapolation of experimental measurements to the ecology of marine zooplankton. Changes in physiological activities and biochemical components of Acetes sibogae australis and Acartia australis after capture. Mar Biol 58:285–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacques G, Panouse M (1989) Phytoplankton, protozooplankton and bacterioplankton. In: Hempel I, Schalk PH, Smetacek V (eds) The expedition ANTARCTIS VII/3 (EPOS leg 2) of RV Polarstern in 1988/1989. Ber Polarforsch 65:61–67

  • Kawaguchi K, Ishikawa S, Matsuda O (1986) The overwintering of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba DANA) under the coastal fast ice of the Ongul Islands in Lützow-Holm Bay, Antarctica. Mem Natl Inst Polar Res (spec issue) 44:67–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Kils U (1981) The swimming behavior, swimming performance and energy balance of Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. BIOMASS Sci Ser 3:1–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Makarov RR, Dennis CJ (1980) Stages of sexual maturity of Euphausia superba DANA. BIOMASS Handb 11:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Marschall H-P (1988) The overwintering strategy of Antarctic krill under the pack ice of the Weddell Sea. Polar Biol 9:129–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Owens TG, King FD (1975) The measurement of respiratory electron transport system activity in marine zooplankton. Mar Biol 30:27–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Packard TT (1971) The measurement of respiratory electron transport system activity in marine phytoplankton. J Mar Res 29:253–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Packard TT (1985) Measurements of electron transport activity of microplankton. In: Annash HWJ, Leb Williams PJ (eds) Advances in aquatic microbiology, vol 3. Academic Press, London UK, pp 207–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymont JEG (1983) Plankton and productivity in the oceans, vol 2. zooplankton. Pergamon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross RM, Quetin LB (1986) How productive are Antarctic krill? BioScience 36:264–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Rüger H-J (1984) Temperature effects on respiratory electron transport system (ETS) in psychrophilic and mesophilic marine bacteria. Veröff Inst Meeresforsch Bremerhaven 20:29–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Paul U, Hubold G, Ekau W (1988) Acclimation effects on routine oxygen consumption of the Antarctic fish Pogonophryne scotti (Artedidraconidae). Polar Biol 9:125–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Schalk PH (1988) Respiratory electron transport system (ETS) activities in zooplankton and micronekton of the Indo-Pacific region. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 44:25–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Skjoldal HR, Bamstedt U (1977) Ecobiochemical studies on the deep water pelagic community of Korsfjorden, western Norway. Adenine nucleotides in zooplankton. Mar Biol 42:197–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith WO, Nelson DM (1986) Importance of ice edge phytoplankton production in the Southern Ocean. BioScience 36:251–257

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spoel S van der, Schalk PH (1988) Unique deviation in depth distribution of the deep sea fauna. Deep Sea Res 35:1185–1193

    Google Scholar 

  • Stepien JC (1982) Zooplankton in the Weddell Sea, October–November 1981. Antarct J US 17:109–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Vries AL de (1977) The physiology of cold adaptation in polar marine poikilotherms. In: Dunbar MJ (ed) Polar oceans. Antarctic Institute of North America, Calgary, Canada, pp 391–40

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, D-2850, Bremerhaven, Federal Republic of Germany

    P. H. Schalk

Authors
  1. P. H. Schalk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Data presented here were collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schalk, P.H. Biological activity in the antarctic zooplankton community. Polar Biol 10, 405–411 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233687

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233687

Keywords

Search

Navigation