Abstract
Phytoplankton studies were conducted in a 4·104 km2 grid around Elephant Island, Antarctica, during January–March 1991. In addition to profiling studies at 50 stations during each of two cruises, pumped surface water was used to continuously record in vivo chlorophyll-a (chl-a) fluorescence and beam attenuation coefficients (ct). Measurements on discrete samples included chl-a, phytoplankton organic carbon (Ac), and total particulate organic carbon (POC). Equations were developed which permitted contour-mapping of chl-a and POC throughout the entire grid based on continuous measurements of in vivo chl-a fluorescence and ct values. Phytoplankton abundance increased from January–February (cruise I) to February–March (cruise II) as evidenced by mean surface chl-a values (0.8 and 1.34 μg l−1, respectively) and mean Ac values for the upper 20 m of the water column (21.3 and 39.8 μg Cl−1, respectively). Microplankton accounted for 29% (cruise I) and 40% (cruise II) of the total phytoplankton, based on direct measurements of chl-a. Patterns for integrated values of chl-a, Ac and POC were similar to patterns of concentrations in surface waters. The richest areas of phytoplankton were north of Elephant and King George Islands, which coincided with high krill density areas.
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