Abundance and distribution of tintinnid ciliates in an ice edge zone during the austral autumn

Abstract

Tintinnid ciliates were present throughout the upper (100m) water column of the ice-edge zone when sampled in autumn 1986 in the Weddell Sea. Biomass ranged from 0.02 μgC1−1 under the sea-ice to 1.3 μgC1−1 in the ice-free water column. Cymatocylis, Codonellopsis, Laackmaniella and a small Salpingella were the most abundant and/or largest biomass contributors. The under ice assemblage was characterized by low biomass and dominated by small species (Salpingella and Codonellopsis); the ice edge stations were dominated by these same taxa but in higher abundances while the open water assemblage was characterized by high biomass and dominated by Cymatocylis, the largest taxa. All taxa exhibited maximum concentrations in the upper 50m of the water column. Both krill and salps grazed upon the Cymatocylis and Codonellopsis without preference in both the ice covered and open water regimes.