Vertical distribution and standing stocks of chlorophyll a in the coastal waters of the Antarctic Ocean

Abstract

Japanese BIOMASS SIBEX II program was carried out partly by the 26th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from December 1984 to February 1985. The vertical distributions of chlorophyll a, phaeophytin and oceanographic parameters to a depth of 200m were investigated in three areas; 9 stations in Breid Bay (70°05′-70°15′S, 23°50′-24°20′E), 7 stations off the Gunnerus Bank (68°00′-68°23′S, 30°00′-35°00′E) and 7 stations off Lutzow-Holm Bay (67°00′-68°00′S, 36°00′-38°00′E) in the Antarctic coastal waters. Water temperature ranged from -1.87 to 2.1℃, and salinity ranged from 32.63 to 34.63. Salinity was 32.63-33.95 throughout the upper 0-50m layer, in which chlorophyll a was abundant. In Breid Bay, integrated chlorophyll a stocks (0-200m) decreased from 230.0-410.7mg/m^2 in December to 95.1-207.2mg/m^2 in February. In the waters off Lutzow-Holm Bay, the stocks remained between 46.0 and 78.3mg/m^2. The phaeophytin content was large at almost all the stations.