AMLR
2008 Weekly Report No. 8
We completed the second leg of the 2008 AMLR survey on
March 7th, and closed both the Cape
Shirreff and Copacabana field camps. The Elephant
Island and South Areas (Bransfield Strait) were also completed and zooplankton, acoustically
inferred biomass, phytoplankton and nutrients as well as bird and marine mammal
observations were made. We are now in transit to Punta Arenas and are scheduled to arrive at 1500 Saturday 15 March.
Acoustics
Acoustically derived biomass for both the Elephant
Island and South Areas was determined. In general, biomass of
krill in both areas was about half that determined on the first Leg. The biomass
in Elephant Island was estimated at 850,000 tons, and exhibited at very
high CV (>50%). In the South Area, the biomass was estimated at 380,000
tons, and also exhibited a rather high CV of 49%. Mean density of krill in each
area was 19 and 15 g m2.
South Shetland Island Region Krill and Zooplankton
A total of 65 stations were sampled in the South
Shetland Island region during leg 2, 44 of which were in the Elephant
Island Area and 21 in the South Area.
Krill were more frequent in Elephant
Island samples (91%) vs. those in the South (86%). Largest catches in the Elephant Island Area
(1000-3200 individuals) were located over outer shelves northeast and west of
the island while those in the South Area (2000-19000) were in southern Bransfield Strait. Index of
dispersion values (5200 vs. 564) reflect the high degree of patchiness in the
South compared to Elephant Island Area.
Krill lengths ranged between 19-57 mm and the overall
length-frequency distribution was strongly dominated by modes representing one-
and two- year-old krill from the 2005/06 and 2006/07 year classes (28 mm and 44
mm, respectively). This is generally similar to the length-frequency
characteristics observed in the South
Shetland Island region during January Survey A. However, the greater representation of larger
and older krill, particularly in the Elephant Island Area where individuals
>45 mm constituted 36% of the catch, likely resulted from their seasonal
onshore movement from oceanic waters.
Such individuals were rare during Survey A, suggesting an unusually
strong northward seasonal displacement this year.
Bimodal length distributions characterized both areas,
but the primary mode in the Elephant Island Area was 45 mm while that in the
South Area was 28 mm. Accordingly,
mature individuals comprised 68% vs. 29% of catches in the respective
areas. Juveniles made up 14% of
individuals in the Elephant Island Area compared to 33% in the South. Greater proportions of advanced female
maturity stages (e.g., developing ovaries, gravid and spent) were represented
in the Elephant Island Area (56% vs. 24%), possibly reflecting a final spawning
bout by the larger animals.
Larval krill were present in 64% and 86% of samples in
the Elephant and South Areas, with greatest concentrations (1500-13000
individuals) located over the deep basin in eastern Bransfield Strait. Moderately large
catches (e.g., 200-1000 individuals) were more evenly distributed over the
western
Copepods, notably Metridia gerlachei, Calanoides acutus and “unidentified others”, were the numerically
dominant zooplankton taxa in both the Elephant
Island and South Areas. Postlarval Thysanoessa macrura, postlarval and larval krill and chaetognaths
followed these in abundance, with modest differences in relative abundance
rankings between the two areas. Overall zooplankton composition and abundance
in these two areas were fairly similar to those observed here last month.
Krill were equally abundant in the South Shetland and South
Orkney Island regions during Survey D.
While they shared length distributions dominated by one- and
two-year-old krill, the proportions of small krill (80% <36 mm) and juvenile
stages (66%) in the South Orkneys region differed greatly from the more
multigenerational size/age/maturity composition represented in the South
Shetland Island region (70% >35 mm, 52% mature, 47% of mature females in
advanced stages). Additionally, larval
krill were virtually absent from the South
Orkney Island region but were among the numerically dominant taxa in the South
Oceanography and Meteorology
Strong South Easterly winds, peaking around 45 knots, averaging
25 knots started of the week. With a drop in pressure on Saturday (1st March)
the winds veered to the North-West and continued blowing at an average of 20-25
knots. Towards the end of the period the pressure had stabilised and winds were averaging 15 knots from the North West. At the beginning of the week the air temperature dipped
to -1°C and then increased to average 2°C for the rest of the week, with a
maximum of 5°C. The planned survey area for the second leg was completed on
Friday bringing the total number of CTD casts successfully completed to 115,
with a total of 16 XBT’s deployed to compliment the CTD
data. Salinity calibration samples from all stations were analyzed onboard,
using a Guildline Portasal salinometer, and close agreement, between CTD measured
salinity and the Portasal values was obtained, with
an average difference of 0.0006ppt between the Salinometer
and the CTD. The final CTD/Portasal correlation
produced an r2=0.9964 (n=1068) during the cruise. Underway comparisons of the
Seabird thermosalinograph (TSG) with CTD data were
undertaken during the survey. Salinity data compared with 7 m CTD salinity data
showed that the TSG salinity reading were on average 0.051 ppt
(n=215) lower then the CTD, whilst the sea temperature showed the TSG to be on
average 0.529°C (n=215) higher than the CTD 7 m temperature data. This can be
attributed to the heating effects of positioning the temperature sensor
downstream of the seawater pump.
Phytoplankton
We completed the South Area at 21 stations where we
measured chlorophyll-a, and
macronutrient plus formalin preserved phytoplankton samples collected for 15
meters. Depth of the UML averaged 75 ±
65 meters, with minimum depth of 28 meters and maximum depth to shallow bottom.
Chlorophyll-a
concentrations averaged 0.8 ± 0.3 mg m-3 for the upper mixed
layer, and ranged 0.3 to 1.4 mg chlorophyll-a
m-3. Average chlorophyll-a during Leg 2 was slightly lower than
found during Leg 1 that averaged 1.0 mg chlorophyll-a m-3 in the upper mixed layer with a maximum
concentration of 2.1 mg m-3, and corresponded with slightly shallower
upper mixed layer depth of 62 meters. High-quality in situ irradiance, chlorophyll-fluorescence,
and transmissometry (blue plus red) have been
obtained. No problems to report, with packing of equipment and remaining
supplies currently underway. This has been a good cruise, with Chilean students
working hard and successful trace-metal samples obtained.
Seabird and marine mammal observations
Data on the distribution, abundance and behavior of seabirds
and mammals were collected during underway ship operations in the Elephant
Island (EI) stratum. 33 transects were collected covering approximately 565
nautical miles of survey effort. The
seabird community near EI consisted of (percentage-wise): Cape Petrel, Southern
Fulmar, Chinstrap Penguin, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Southern Giant Petrel, Prions, Cape Petrel, Wilson’s and Black-bellied Storm
Petrel, Black-browed and Grey-headed Albatross, White-chinned Petrel,
Soft-plumaged Petrel, Blue Petrel and Wandering Albatross. In addition, three Kerguelen
Petrels, one South Georgian Diving Petrel and one White-headed Petrel were observed. We encountered more feeding aggregations of
seabirds near EI (primarily Cape
Petrel and Black-browed Albatross) than in the previous week’s
survey of the South Orkney’s. The feeding aggregations of seabirds were encountered
along the boundary of Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
Fin Whales were highly conspicuous in the waters near
EI. We collected 97 sightings of groups
for a total of 234 fin whales. Largest concentrations of whales were
encountered to the northeast and southeast of EI near regions influenced by
eddy systems (detected through deployment of drifter buoys). By comparison, only 34 Fin Whales were
observed near the South Orkneys. Three Humpback Whales were observed in the southwest of
the EI stratum. Additionally, 2 Right Whales were observed near the shelf break
north of EI, and one was observed near Deception Island.
C. Reiss sends.