PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF FAST-ICE ALGAE TO THE SPRING PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM IN ELLIS FJORD, EASTERN ANTARCTICA

Algae released from fast-ice in Ellis Fjord, eastern Antarctica, made little contribution to subsequent phytoplankton growth. Dominant taxa in the interior ice community included Nitzschia cylindrus (Grun) Hasl e, Navicula glaciei V.H. and a dinoflagellate cyst. Diatom mortality w ithin the ice was high. The algal contribution to the phytoplankton fr om the fast ice was estimated by calculating the difference between al gal biomass in ice cores taken on 14 November with those taken on 18 D ecember 1992. The biomass of sedimenting phytoplankton was estimated u sing sediment traps; weekly cell counts of water were used to monitor net phytoplankton growth. The low contribution from the fast-ice of El lis Fjord to the phytoplankton is similar to results from other Antarc tic fast-ice communities but is not necessarily reflective of processe s occurring within either Antarctic or Arctic pack ice communities. An algal mat growing on the base of the fast-ice had a carbon standing c rop of between 0.231 gCm(-2) and 0.022 gCm(-2). Much of this was deliv ered to the water column as the ice melted while the remainder was exp orted.