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Seabird guano enhances phytoplankton production in the Southern Ocean
Citation
Shatova, O and Wing, SR and Gault-Ringold, M and Wing, L and Hoffmann, LJ, Seabird guano enhances phytoplankton production in the Southern Ocean, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 483 pp. 74-87. ISSN 0022-0981 (2016) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© 2016 Published by Elsevier
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2016.07.004
Abstract
Six incubation experiments were carried out to investigate the phytoplankton biomass response to seabird
guano-enrichment under different nutrient regimes. Study locations included Antarctic waters of the Ross Sea
and sub-Antarctic waters offshore of the Otago Peninsula, both being characterized by iron limitation of phytoplankton
productivity in summer, the Sub-Tropical Frontal Zone offshore of the Snares Islands,which is generally
micronutrient-replete, and the island wakewaters of the Snares Islands,which have a high nutrient supply from
land. In all of the experiments the increase of phytoplankton biomass was higher in the treatments with guano
addition compared to the controls. Guano additions were compared to Fe and macronutrients treatments
(both added in quantities similar to those in the guano treatment) to shed light on which constituent(s) of
guano are responsible for the observed increases in phytoplankton biomass. Macronutrients increased the phytoplankton
biomass in the Sub-Tropical Frontal Zone, however, the response was less prominent than in the
Guano treatment, suggesting synergetic effects of nutrients in seabird guano on phytoplankton production. It
was also found that the pattern of response varied between the water masses with 6–10 days lag phase in the
Sub-Antarcticwater mass and no lag phase in Sub-Tropical Frontal Zone. The calculations presented here suggest
that micro- and macronutrients delivered from seabird colonies on some of the sub-Antarctic islands may provide
a significant amount of limiting nutrients to the nutrient budget of the surrounding coastal waters, potentially
sufficient to sustain a local phytoplankton bloom. Findings of the present study indicate that biological
recycling of nutrients by seabirds likely supports marine primary production and enhances productivity of associated
food webs in the vicinity of islands.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | seabird guano, iron, Subantarctic, Antarctic |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards |
Objective Group: | Adaptation to climate change |
Objective Field: | Ecosystem adaptation to climate change |
UTAS Author: | Gault-Ringold, M (Dr Melanie East) |
ID Code: | 113759 |
Year Published: | 2016 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 24 |
Deposited By: | CRC-Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems |
Deposited On: | 2017-01-19 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-01 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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