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The northwestern Antarctic Peninsula is an important spawning, recruitment, and overwintering ground for Antarctic krill. The region is warming rapidly, and the current impacts of climate and environmental variability on the reproductive cycle of krill remain unclear. Here, we examine the reproductive stage of female krill in the austral winter from 2012 to 2016 in relation to climate and environmental data to assess what factors influence the timing of reproductive development. We observed significant interannual variability in the degree of maturation in female krill, ranging from 48% of female krill measured at a station in 2016 to a maximum of 94% of female krill measured at a station in 2014. On average, across all five years, three-quarters of the female krill sampled were in the stage known as previtellogenesis, the point at which the onset of sexual maturity begins. The preceding spring, summer, and autumn Southern Annular Mode and the Multivariate El Niño Index explained most of the variance in the data and indicated a strong, preconditioning storm-related effect on environmental conditions leading up to winter, affecting krill maturation status at the end of the winter season. Results from our study can be used to improve krill population models that are necessary for the management of the krill fishery and for conservation at the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes driving changes in sea-ice seasonality and sea-ice thickness were explored for a 'warm-shelf' region along the West Antarctic Peninsula using vertically coupled sea-ice-ocean thermodynamic simulations, with and without assimilated satellite sea-ice observations and moored ocean temperature observations. Simulations with assimilated sea-ice observations permitted investigation of surface [thermodynamic and dynamic (e.g., wind-driven)] processes affecting sea-ice thickness and seasonality. Assimilation of quasi-weekly variability in the depth and temperature of the deep warm pycnocline permitted examination of subsurface processes affecting sea-ice. Simulations using assimilated sea-ice observations (and implied motion) always produced greater surface heat fluxes and overall thinner sea ice. Assimilating seasonal and quasi-weekly variability in the depth and temperature of the pycnocline modified the start of the sea-ice season by −23 to +1 d, and also modified the sea ice thickness/seasonality to be thinner/shorter or thicker/longer at sub-seasonal and seasonal timescales, highlighting a mechanism where a shoaling pycnocline enhanced upward deep-water heat fluxes as transient surface-induced turbulence had a greater effect on a reduced mixed layer volume. The observed interplay of surface, subsurface, and sea-ice modulation of ocean-atmosphere heat transfer underscores the importance of representing the interaction between sea-ice concentration and upper ocean variability in climate projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The krill surplus hypothesis of unlimited prey resources available for Antarctic predators due to commercial whaling in the 20th century has remained largely untested since the 1970s. Rapid warming of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the past 50 years has resulted in decreased seasonal ice cover and a reduction of krill. The latter is being exacerbated by a commercial krill fishery in the region. Despite this, humpback whale populations have increased but may be at a threshold for growth based on these human‐induced changes. Understanding how climate‐mediated variation in prey availability influences humpback whale population dynamics is critical for focused management and conservation actions. Using an 8‐year dataset (2013–2020), we show that inter‐annual humpback whale pregnancy rates, as determined from skin‐blubber biopsy samples (n = 616), are positively correlated with krill availability and fluctuations in ice cover in the previous year. Pregnancy rates showed significant inter‐annual variability, between 29% and 86%. Our results indicate that krill availability is in fact limiting and affecting reproductive rates, in contrast to the krill surplus hypothesis. This suggests that this population of humpback whales may be at a threshold for population growth due to prey limitations. As a result, continued warming and increased fishing along the WAP, which continue to reduce krill stocks, will likely impact this humpback whale population and other krill predators in the region. Humpback whales are sentinel species of ecosystem health, and changes in pregnancy rates can provide quantifiable signals of the impact of environmental change at the population level. Our findings must be considered paramount in developing new and more restrictive conservation and management plans for the Antarctic marine ecosystem and minimizing the negative impacts of human activities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coastal West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) waters, large phytoplankton blooms in late austral spring fuel a highly productive marine ecosystem. However, WAP atmospheric and oceanic temperatures are rising, winter sea ice extent and duration are decreasing, and summer phytoplankton biomass in the northern WAP has decreased and shifted toward smaller cells. To better understand these relationships, an Imaging FlowCytobot was used to characterize seasonal (spring to autumn) phytoplankton community composition and cell size during a low (2017–2018) and high (2018–2019) chlorophyll a year in relation to physical drivers (e.g., sea ice and meteoric water) at Palmer Station, Antarctica. A shorter sea ice season with early rapid retreat resulted in low phytoplankton biomass with a low proportion of diatoms (2017–2018), while a longer sea ice season with late protracted retreat resulted in the opposite (2018–2019). Despite these differences, phytoplankton seasonal succession was similar in both years: (1) a large‐celled centric diatom bloom during spring sea ice retreat; (2) a peak summer phase comprised of mixotrophic cryptophytes with increases in light and postbloom organic matter; and (3) a late summer phase comprised of small (< 20 μm) diatoms and mixed flagellates with increases in wind‐driven nutrient resuspension. In addition, cell diameter decreased from November to April with increases in meteoric water in both years. The tight coupling between sea ice, meltwater, and phytoplankton species composition suggests that continued warming in the WAP will affect phytoplankton seasonal dynamics, and subsequently seasonal food web dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate of the western shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is undergoing a transition from a cold-dry polar-type climate to a warm-humid sub-Antarctic-type climate. Using three decades of satellite and field data, we document that ocean biological productivity, inferred from chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a), has significantly changed along the WAP shelf. Summertime surface Chl a (summer integrated Chl a ~63% of annually integrated Chl a) declined by 12% along the WAP over the past 30 years, with the Largest decreases equaforward of 63[degrees]S and with substantial increases in Chl a occurring farther south. The latitudinal variation in Chl a trends reflects shifting patterns of ice cover, cloud formation, and windiness affecting water-column mixing. Regional changes in phytoplankton coincide with observed changes in krill (Euphausia superba) and penguin populations.

The west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a region of marked climatic variability, exhibiting strong changes in sea ice extent, retreat of most of its glaciers, and shifts in the amount and form of precipitation. These changes can have significant impacts on the oceanic freshwater budget and marine biogeochemical processes; it is thus important to ascertain the relative balance of the drivers and the spatial scales over which they operate. We present a novel 7‐year summer‐season (October to March; 2011 to 2018) series of oxygen isotopes in seawater (δ18O), augmented with some winter sampling, collected adjacent to Anvers Island at the WAP. These data are used to attribute oceanic freshwater changes to sea ice and meteoric sources, and to deduce information on the spatial scales over which the changes are driven. Sea ice melt shows significant seasonality (∼9% range) and marked interannual changes, with pronounced maxima in seasons 2013/14 and 2016/17. Both of these extrema are driven by anomalous winds, but reflect strongly contrasting dynamic and thermodynamic sea ice responses. Meteoric water also shows seasonality (∼7% range) with interannual variability reflecting changes in the input of accumulated precipitation and glacial melt to the ocean. Unlike sea ice melt, meteoric water extremes are especially pronounced in thin (<10 m) surface layers close to the proximate glacier, associated with enhanced ocean stratification. Isotopic tracers help to deconvolve the complex spatio‐temporal scales inherent in the coastal freshwater budget, and hence improve our knowledge of the separate and cumulative physical and ecological impacts. Plain Language Summary: The Antarctic Peninsula shows very strong changes in climate, with long periods of warming interrupted by spells of cooling. At the same time, there have been large long‐term and year‐to‐year changes in the sea ice cover west of the Peninsula, as well as in the speed of the melt and retreat of glaciers, and in the amount of snow that falls there. Upon melting, these freshwater sources affect the marine ecosystem in distinct ways, by injecting freshwater at different depths and supplying different nutrients, making it imperative to distinguish changes in these sources. Here, we use a new 7‐year sequence of seawater measurements to calculate the amount of sea ice that melts into the ocean separately from the amount of snowmelt and glacier melt. We find very large changes in these sources, both on month‐to‐month and year‐to‐year timescales, and we identify causes of these changes. We find that some changes are driven by large‐scale wind and precipitation variability, whereas other changes are caused much more locally. These findings are relevant to the marine life west of the Peninsula, and how it will respond to future climate change. Key Points: A novel 7‐year series of seawater isotopes from the Antarctic Peninsula is used to trace freshwater inputs from different sourcesVariability in wind forcing and precipitation drive strong seasonal and interannual changes in observed sea ice melt and meteoric waterSpatial scales of the key processes vary greatly, including the intermittent creation and destruction of very localized freshwater layers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Antarctic Peninsula has recently undergone rapid climatic warming, with associated decreases in sea ice extent and duration, and increases in precipitation and glacial discharge to the ocean. These shifts in the freshwater budget can have significant consequences on the functioning of the regional ecosystem, feedbacks on regional climate, and sea-level rise. Here we use shelf-wide oxygen isotope data from cruises in four consecutive Januaries (2011–2014) to distinguish the freshwater input from sea ice melt separately from that due to meteoric sources (precipitation plus glacial discharge). Sea ice melt distributions varied from minima in 2011 of around 0 % up to maxima in 2014 of around 4–5%. Meteoric water contribution to the marine environment is typically elevated inshore, due to local glacial discharge and orographic effects on precipitation, but this enhanced contribution was largely absent in January 2013 due to anomalously low precipitation in the last quarter of 2012. Both sea ice melt and meteoric water changes are seen to be strongly influenced by changes in regional wind forcing associated with the Southern Annular Mode and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomenon, which also impact on net sea ice motion as inferred from the isotope data. A near-coastal time series of isotope data collected from Rothera Research Station reproduces well the temporal pattern of changes in sea ice melt, but less well the meteoric water changes, due to local glacial inputs and precipitation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent, duration, and seasonality of sea ice and glacial discharge strongly influence Antarctic marine ecosystems. Most organisms' life cycles in this region are attuned to ice seasonality. The annual retreat and melting of sea ice in the austral spring stratifies the upper ocean, triggering large phytoplankton blooms. The magnitude of the blooms is proportional to the winter extent of ice cover, which can act as a barrier to wind mixing. Antarctic krill, one of the most abundant metazoan populations on Earth, consume phytoplankton blooms dominated by large diatoms. Krill, in turn, support a large biomass of predators, including penguins, seals, and whales. Human activity has altered even these remote ecosystems. The western Antarctic Peninsula region has warmed by 7°C over the past 50 years, and sea ice duration has declined by almost 100 days since 1978, causing a decrease in phytoplankton productivity in the northern peninsula region. Besides climate change, Antarctic marine systems have been greatly altered by harvesting of the great whales and now krill. It is unclear to what extent the ecosystems we observe today differ from the pristine state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's ice diminishes in the face of climate change--from the dramatic decline in Arctic sea ice, to thinning at the margins of both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, to retreating mountain glaciers the world over--Antarctic sea ice presents something of a paradox. The trend in total sea ice extent in the Antarctic has remained steady, or even increased slightly, over the past three decades, confounding climate model predictions showing moderate to strong declines. This apparent intransigence masks dramatic regional trends; declines in sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea region that rival the high-profile decline in the Arctic have been matched by opposing increases in the Ross Sea. Much of the explanation lies in the unique nature of the Antarctic sea ice zone. Its position surrounding the continent and exposure to the high-energy wind and wave fields of the open Southern Ocean shape both its properties and its connection to the atmosphere and ocean in ways very different from the Arctic. Sea ice extent and variability are strongly driven by large-scale climate variability patterns such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Southern Annular Mode. Because many of these patterns have opposing effects in different regions around the continent, decreases in one region are often accompanied by similar, opposing increases in another. Yet, the failure of climate models to capture either the overall or regional behavior also reflects, in part, a poor understanding of sea ice processes. Considerable insight has been gained into the nature of these processes over the past several decades through field expeditions aboard icebreakers. However, much remains to be discovered about the nature of Antarctic sea ice; its connections with the ocean, atmosphere, and ecosystem; and its complex response to present and future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search of an explanation for some of the greenest waters ever seen in coastal Antarctica and their possible link to some of the fastest melting glaciers and declining summer sea ice, the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) challenged the capabilities of the US Antarctic Program and RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer during Austral summer 2010-2011. We were well rewarded by both an extraordinary research platform and a truly remarkable oceanic setting. Here we provide further insights into the key questions that motivated our sampling approach during ASPIRE and present some preliminary findings, while highlighting the value of the Palmer for accomplishing complex, multifaceted oceanographic research in such a challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryosphere—the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in solid form for at least one month of the year—has been shrinking in response to climate warming. The extents of sea ice, snow, and glaciers, for example, have been decreasing. In response, the ecosystems within the cryosphere and those that depend on the cryosphere have been changing. We identify two principal aspects of ecosystem-level responses to cryosphere loss: (1) trophodynamic alterations resulting from the loss of habitat and species loss or replacement and (2) changes in the rates and mechanisms of biogeochemical storage and cycling of carbon and nutrients, caused by changes in physical forcings or ecological community functioning. These changes affect biota in positive or negative ways, depending on how they interact with the cryosphere. The important outcome, however, is the change and the response the human social system (infrastructure, food, water, recreation) will have to that change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although Antarctic sea ice is undergoing a slight increase in overall extent, major regional changes are occurring in its spatio-temporal characteristics (most notably in sea ice seasonality). Biologically significant aspects of Antarctic sea ice are evaluated, emphasising the importance of scale and thermodynamics versus dynamics. Changing sea ice coverage is having major direct and indirect though regionally-dependent effects on ecosystem structure and function, with the most dramatic known effects to date occurring in the West Antarctic Peninsula region. There is mounting evidence that loss of sea ice has affected multiple levels of the marine food web in a complex fashion and has triggered cascading effects. Impacts on primary production, Antarctic krill, fish, marine mammals and birds are assessed, and are both negative and positive. The review includes recent analysis of change/variability in polynyas and fast ice, and also highlights the significance of extreme events (which have paradoxical impacts). Possible future scenarios are investigated in the light of the predicted decline in sea ice by 2100 e.g. increased storminess/waviness, numbers of icebergs and snowfall. Our current lack of knowledge on many aspects of sea ice-related change and biological response is emphasised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Antarctic Peninsula region is undergoing rapid change: a warming in winter of almost 6°C since 1950, the loss of six ice shelves, the retreat of 87% of the marine glaciers, and decreases in winter sea-ice duration. Concurrently, there is evidence of ecosystem change along the western Antarctic Peninsula (wAP). Since the life histories of most polar marine species are synchronized with the seasonal cycle of sea ice, we assess how the seasonal sea-ice cycle is changing in the wAP region. Four new metrics of seasonal sea-ice variability were extracted from spatial maps of satellite derived daily sea-ice concentration: (a) day of advance, (b) day of retreat, (c) the total number of sea-ice days (between day of advance and retreat), and (d) the percent time sea-ice was present (or sea-ice persistence). The spatio-temporal variability describes distinct on-to-offshore and alongshore differences in ice–ocean marine habitats, characterized overall by a longer sea-ice season in coastal regions (6.8–7.9 months) versus a shorter sea-ice season over the shelf (4.1–5.3 months), with on-to-offshore differences increasing south-to-north. Large perturbations in the seasonality of the marine habitat occur in association with ENSO and Southern Annular Mode (SAM) variability. The local atmospheric response to these climate modes is largely a strengthening of the meridional winds during spring-to-autumn, which in turn affect the timing of the sea-ice retreat and subsequent advance. These perturbations are embedded in overall trends towards a later sea-ice advance, earlier retreat and consequently shorter sea-ice season, the impacts of which are expected to affect ecosystem functionality in the wAP region. A suite of ocean–atmosphere–ice interactions are described that are consistent with the amplified warming in late autumn, early winter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study focuses on 12 years of physical oceanography data, collected during the Palmer, Antarctica, Long-Term Ecological Research program (PAL LTER) over the continental margin of the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The dataset offers the most long-lived consistent CTD-gridded observations of Antarctic waters collected anywhere in the Southern Ocean. The physical characteristics, water column structure and spatio–temporal variability of the various properties are examined for physically consistent and ecologically important patterns and modes of variability. Unique findings of note include: (1) The average annual ocean heat flux (to the atmosphere) over the continental shelf shows a decreasing trend through time averaging 0.6Wm−2 yr−1, with an annual average ocean heat flux of ∼19Wm−2. The ocean heat content over the shelf shows a linearly increasing trend of 2.6×107 Jm−2yr−1, due predominantly to increased upwelling of warm Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) onto the shelf with a small contribution due to a slight warming of UCDW (but over longer time scales (50yr), the warming of UCDW dominates), (2) optimal multi-annual average vertical turbulent diffusivity coefficient (kz ) is ∼8.5×10−5 m2s−1, determined by inversion considering warming of trapped remnant winter mixed layer water, (3) the water masses in the grid are well separated according to bathymetrically controlled features, dividing the sample domain into 3 sub-regions: slope, shelf and coastal waters; (4) the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) was always present along the shelf-break (consistent with the Orsi et al. [1995. On the meridional extent and fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Deep-Sea Research I 42 (5), 641–673.] climatology) where UCDW shows its farthest southern extent and forms the Southern ACC Front (SACCF). The spatio–temporal variability of the delivery and distribution of ocean heat is dictated by the dynamics that are consistent with changes in the state of ENSO (La Niña drives enhanced upwelling in this region) and in the strength of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM; +SAM drives a local response similar to that of La Niña). The large 1997–1998 El Niño, followed by the transition to the strong La Niña of 1998–1999 (amplified by a large +SAM) introduced a regime shift on the shelf, resulting in the elimination of ∼0.5m of sea ice melt (presumably from the loss of sea ice being grown). 2002 was an anomalous year coinciding with an extraordinary storm forcing driving a 4.5σ increase in the heat content on the shelf. These jumps coincide with considerable changes in sea ice distribution as well. Pure UCDW on the shelf is primarily restricted to the deep canyons, with occasional appearances on the shelf floor near the middle of the grid. Anomalies in summer sea surface temperatures reflect wind strength (stronger winds mixing more cold winter water to the surface, with cooler SST; light winds, the opposite). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Deals with the Palmer Station weather records collected under the Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research program in Antarctica. Data management objectives of the program; Information on the Bonaparte and Hugo automated weather stations; Key data measured by the weather stations; Comparison between the weather records released by the weather stations.

Deals with the spatial and temporal variability of ice coverage in the Long-Term Ecological Research region in Palmer Land, Antarctica from 1973 to 1994. Passive microwave radiometers used to collect the data; Key features of the ice coverage in the area; Men month of maximum ice coverage in the area.

Abstract: The Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program seeks to obtain a comprehensive understanding of various components of the Antarctic marine ecosystem—the assemblage of plants, microbes, animals, ocean, and sea-ice south of the Antarctic Polar Front. A central hypothesis of the Palmer LTER is that the seasonal and interannual variability of sea ice affects all levels of the Antarctic marine ecosystem, from the timing and magnitude of seasonal primary production to the breeding success and survival of apex predators. In the context of this high-latitude ecosystem we use satellite imagery to examine physical forcing and possible mechanisms influencing the distribution of phytoplankton biomass in the region to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula. We evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of pigment biomass (estimated as chlorophyll-a concentrations using SeaWiFS data) in response to the spatial and temporal variability of sea-ice extent (estimated from passive microwave satellite data). While the ocean-color data record is relatively short (7 years) and contains high interannual variability, there are persistent spatial patterns of phytoplankton biomass that indicate important regional-scale physical mechanisms including: the marginal ice zone and its impact on the mixed-layer depth, the timing of spring sea-ice retreat, the importance of the southern Antarctic Circumpolar front, and teleconnections with sub-polar regions. The SeaWIFS imagery presented here provides the most complete synoptic space/time views of phytoplankton biomass within this region to date. These observations suggest that the southern Antarctic Circumpolar front may have a more profound influence on the western Antarctic Peninsula ecosystem than previously thought. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on results of a long-term (1993–2007) time series sediment trap moored at 170m to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula in the mid-continental shelf region (350m depth; 64°30′S, 66°00′W). This is a region characterized by late spring–summer diatom blooms, moderately high seasonal primary productivity (50–150mmolCm−2 d−1 in December–February), and high phytoplankton and krill biomass in the seasonal sea-ice zone. The mass flux ranged from near 0 to over 1gm−2 d−1 and was near 0% to >30% organic carbon (mean 8%). Sedimentation from the upper ocean as estimated by the trap collections at 170m exhibited strong seasonality with high fluxes (1–10mmolCm−2 d−1) in November–March following ice retreat and very low fluxes (<0.001mmolCm−2 d−1) during the Austral winter and under sea-ice cover. An average of 85% of the annual export of 212mmolCm−2 occurred during the seasonal peak flux episodes. Over the trap record, the annual peak flux episode has tended to occur later in the Austral summer, advancing by about 40 days since 1993. The time-integrated sedimentation during the peak flux episode was <1–50% of the SeaWiFS-estimated primary production (mean 4%) at the trap site over the period 1998–2006. The elemental composition of material captured in the traps had an average C:N:P of 212:25:1, greater than the canonical Redfield values. High C:P ratios (400–600) corresponded with the annual flux peak, indicating preferential loss of P from the sinking particles in the summer, ice-free period. The composition of the exported material more closely approximated the Redfield composition during the low-flux, winter period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Variability in the temporal-spatial distribution and abundance of zooplankton was documented each summer on the Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) grid west of the Antarctic Peninsula between Anvers and Adelaide Islands during a 12-yr time series. Oblique tows to 120m with a 2×2m fixed-frame net were made at about 50 stations each January/February between 1993 and 2004. The numerically dominant macro- and mesozooplanktonic species >2mm included three species of euphausiids (Euphausia superba, Antarctic krill; Thysanoëssa macrura; Euphausia crystallorophias, ice krill), a shelled pteropod (Limacina helicina), and a salp (Salpa thompsoni). Life cycles, life spans, and habitat varied among these species. Abundance data from each year were allocated to 100km by 20km (alongshore by on/offshore) grid cells centered on cardinal transect lines and stations within the Palmer LTER grid. The long-term mean or climatology and means for each year were used to calculate annual anomalies across the grid. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to analyze for patterns and trends in the temporal-spatial variability of the five species. Questions included whether there are groups of species with similar patterns, and whether population cycles, species interactions or seasonal sea-ice parameters were correlated with detected patterns. Patterns in the climatology were distinct, and matched those of physical parameters. Common features included higher abundance in the north than in the south, independent of the cross-shelf gradients, and cross-shelf gradients with higher abundance either inshore (E. crystallorophias) or offshore (S. thompsoni). Anomalies revealed either cycles in the population, as episodic recruitment in Antarctic krill, or changes in anomaly pattern between the first and second half of the sampling period. The 1998 year, which coincided with a rapid change from a negative to a positive phase in the SOI, emerged as a year with either significant anomalies or that marked a change in anomaly patterns for different species. PCA analysis showed that the pattern of cumulative variance with increasing number of modes was distinctly different for shorter-lived versus longer-lived species; the first mode accounted for nearly 50% of the variance in the shorter-lived species and less than 25% in the longer-lived species. This suggested that the mechanisms driving variability in the temporal-spatial distribution of the shorter-lived, more oceanic species were less complex and more direct than those for the longer-lived euphausiids. Evidence from both the anomaly plots and the trend analysis suggested that salps have been more consistently present across the shelf from 1999 to present, and that the range of L. helicina has been expanding. With shorter life spans, these two species can respond more quickly to the increasing heat content on the shelf in this region. The cross-correlation analysis illustrated the negative correlation between salps and ice retreat and the number of ice days, and the positive correlation between the presence of ice krill and the day of ice retreat. These results suggest that for these species, several environmental controls on distribution and abundance were linked to seasonal sea-ice dynamics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sea-ice zone of the Antarctic exhibits high rates of primary productivity and large interannual variability in plankton and biogeochemical properties, influenced by variations in the timing, extent and duration of sea-ice advance and retreat. In the past decade several interdisciplinary research programs conducted investigations in the sea ice zones of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and Ross Sea. In this article we synthesize results of these investigations to provide an overview of water-column processes influenced by regional-scale sea-ice dynamics. Primary production (PP) off the WAP varies by nearly an order of magnitude from year-to-year, and its interannual variability is related to the amount of open water within the annual ice pack. The annual sedimentation at 170m averages about 2% of the overlying PP but is not related to interannual variations in the ice or PP. Rather the interannual variations in sedimentation are related to stocks of krill and salps. Plankton foodwebs in the Ross Sea and WAP exhibit similar annual PP but differ greatly in quantitative foodweb structure. Foodwebs of the WAP are dominated by krill grazing of spring-summer diatom blooms, whereas in the Ross Sea the extensive and early (November) bloom of Phaeocystis antarctica is not grazed and ∼50% sinks as ungrazed cells. Foodweb reconstructions from inverse models suggest that some functional characteristics of foodwebs in the two regions are quite similar in spite of taxonomic contrasts. Relatively high rates of microbial processing and nutrient recycling characterize both systems, even during years in the WAP when PP differs by an order of magnitude. These similarities indicate broad functional similarities across contrasting foodweb composition in the sea-ice zone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddellii ) are important predators in the Southern Ocean and are among the best-studied pinnipeds on Earth, yet much still needs to be learned about their year-round movements and foraging behaviour. Using biologgers, we tagged 62 post-moult Weddell seals in McMurdo Sound and vicinity between 2010 and 2012. Generalized additive mixed models were used to (i) explain and predict the probability of seal presence and foraging behaviour from eight environmental variables, and (ii) examine foraging behaviour in relation to dive metrics. Foraging probability was highest in winter and lowest in summer, and foraging occurred mostly in the water column or just above the bottom; across all seasons, seals preferentially exploited the shallow banks and deeper troughs of the Ross Sea, the latter providing a pathway for Circumpolar Deep Water to flow onto the shelf. In addition, the probability of Weddell seal occurrence and foraging increased with increasing bathymetric slope and where water depth was typically less than 600 m. Although the probability of occurrence was higher closer to the shelf break, foraging was higher in areas closer to shore and over banks. This study highlights the importance of overwinter foraging for recouping body mass lost during the previous summer., (© 2023 The Authors.)