Polar Ecology
Our marine ecology of the Southern Ocean focus is within the Western Antarctic Peninsula area and includes: physical forcing with an emphasis on the ecological consequences of sea-ice variability, biological processes with an emphasis on microbial and primary production as well as life-history parameters of secondary producers (krill) and apex predators (penguins, seals) and modeling that links ecosystem processes to environmental variables.
Major Impacts
Factors strongly influencing the flora and fauna of the Palmer LTER site include: low temperatures, a short growing season, high winds influencing the depth of the mixed layer, proximity to land with the potential for input of micronutrients, and varying snow and sea-ice coverage. Characteristics of the landscape-seascape of seawater, ice, snow and rock vary as the 24-hour darkness in June changes to 24-hour daylight in December. This so-called high-nutrient, low-biomass marine environment, sustains a few hundred grams of carbon/m2/year of primary production.