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Temporal patterns of primary production in a large ultra-oligotrophic Antarctic freshwater lake

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 20:35 authored by Bayliss, P, Ellis-Evans, JC, Laybourn-Parry, J
A large ultra-oligotrophic Antarctic freshwater lake, Crooked Lake, was investigated between January 1993 and November 1993. The water column supported a small phytoplankton community limited by temperature, nutrient availability and, seasonally, by low photosynthetically active radiation. Chlorophyll a concentrations were consistently low (< 1 μg l-1) and showed no obvious seasonal patterns. Production rates were low, ranging from non-detectable to 0.56 μg C l-1 h-1, with highest rates generally occurring towards the end of the austral winter and in spring. The pattern of carbon fixation indicated that the phytoplankton was adapted to low light levels. Chlorophyll a specific photosynthetic rates (assimilation numbers) ranged from non-detectable to 1.27 μgC (μg chlorophyll a)-1 h-1. Partitioning of photosynthetic products revealed carbon incorporation principally into storage products such as lipids at high light fluxes with increasing protein synthesis at depth. With little allochthonous input the data suggest that lake dynamics in this Antarctic system are driven by phytoplankton activity.

History

Publication title

Polar Biology

Volume

18

Issue

6

Pagination

363-370

ISSN

0722-4060

Publisher

Springer

Place of publication

Germany

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences

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