Summary
The significance of marginal ice zones as loci for primary productivity has been firmly established in recent years, yet little data exist on the variations within these areas over long time periods. Interannual variations in primary productivity of the marginal ice zone were calculated by combining actual field data on primary productivity, remote sensing data on ice position and concentrations, and a conceptual model of the dynamics of ice-edge phytoplankton blooms. The Ross Sea, the Weddell Sea, and the entire Southern Ocean were analyzed for the years from 1973–1986. Interannual variations in primary productivity within the marginal ice zone are shown to be substantial, with the maximum productivity being 50% greater than the minimum. In view of the importance of the marginal ice zone as a site of biological production and its temporal variations, an understanding of the causes of interannual variability of the ice-edge location and of biological processes within marginal ice zones is needed to assess the impact of these time/space variations on the food webs of the Southern Ocean.
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Smith, W.O., Keene, N.K., Comiso, J.C. (1988). Interannual Variability in Estimated Primary Productivity of the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone. In: Sahrhage, D. (eds) Antarctic Ocean and Resources Variability. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73724-4_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73724-4_10
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