NUTRIENT DEPLETION AND PARTICULATE MATTER NEAR THE ICE-EDGE IN THE WEDDELL SEA

The region between Elephant Island and the South Orkney Islands (53.5 degrees S, 46.5 degrees W) was occupied by Winter Weddell Sea water an d a thick layer of summer and surface modified Weddell Water, High cor relations between nutrients (nitrate, total inorganic carbon, silicate ) and oxygen with salinity were found in the upper 150 m near the ice- edge. Nutrient depletion was calculated and correlated with the meltin g ice processes. When 1 m of ice melts, the average amount of total ca rbonate and nutrients removed is equivalent to a production of 33 g C m(-2) yr(-1). Increases of oxygen were detected with high rates of nut rient and carbon depletion, However, significant oxygen losses in the melting water body were estimated from the conservative 'NO' parameter . The amount of nutrients removed during pack-ice melting was about 3 times higher than that taken up in the water column. Analyses of parti culate material in the ice samples showed similar C:N ratios to those estimated by the decrease of nutrients in the water column.