Project Outcomes - Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The RSV Aurora Australis is Australia’s Antarctic research supply vessel conducting both marine research and resupplying Australia’s Antarctic stations annually between spring and autumn. Under the direction of SO-CPR, the CPR is deployed from the Aurora Australis during research and resupply voyages, monitoring the health of the Southern Ocean by assessing individual plankton species and community response to changes in the environment. The primary focus of SO-CPR has been on studying krill and zooplankton patterns. Collaboration with AusCPR has provided additional support to count phytoplankton on routes south of Australia greatly enhancing the Southern Ocean dataset. The inclusion of phytoplankton data increases the sensitivity of detecting change in the region. It also helps explain the zooplankton and krill distribution patterns, as well as determine hot spots and cold spots of productivity. This can include potential foraging zones for fish, birds and marine mammals.
The following figures are based on CPR samples collected aboard the Aurora Australis during the 2007/2008 season. The samples were analysed in the laboratory at the Australian Antarctic Division, Tasmania. Figures represented here are a sample of the data collected thus far by the AusCPR Survey in the Southern Ocean. Both figures are based on total abundance of zooplankton (figure 1) and phytoplankton (figure 2) and demonstrate the frontal zonation that is prevalent in the Southern Ocean. Figure 2 represents the first ever CPR samples from the Southern Ocean to counted for phytoplankton and this component of the project is expected to contribute a great deal to understanding phytoplankton distribution patterns in the region south of Australia
- Abundance of all phytoplankton species from a transect collected during Voyage 3 2007/2008 aboard the Aurora Australis. Size of the symbol is relative to abundance per 5 nautical mile sample
- Abundance of all zooplankton species from transects collected during Voyage 3 and Voyage 6 2007/2008 aboard the Aurora Australis. Size of the symbol is relative to abundance per 5 nautical mile sample
Phytoplankton Species List – IMOS AusCPR Suvey (DDU Route) 2007/2008
Fragilariopsis sp
Fragilariopsis curta
Fragilariopsis separanda/rhombica
Fragilariopsis kerguelensis
Thalassiothrix antarctica
Pseudonitzschia sp
Chaetoceros (Hyalochaetae)
Chaetoceros (Phaeoceros)
Chaetoceros dichaeta
Chaetoceros bulbosus
Silicoflagellate (Dictochya sp?)
Dictochya speculum
Corethron sp
Corethron criophilum
Corethron pennatum
Coscinodiscus sp
Trichotoxon reinboldii
Asteromphalus hookeri
Asteromphalus hyalinus
Rhizoselenia imbricata
Rhizoselenia sp
Proboscia alata
Proboscia sp
Proboscia inermis
Thalassiosira sp
Melosira sp
Ceratium fusus/extensum
Ceratium tripos
Ceratium pentagonium
Protoperidinium sp
Thalassionema nitzchoides
Nitzchia sp
Pleurosigma sp
Cocconeis sp
Tintinnid
Navicula (cristata?)
Leptocylidrus mediterraneus
Dactyliosolen antarcticus
Actinocyclus sp
Dinophysis sp
Radiolarian indet
diatom (centrales)
diatom (pennales)
dino indet
microzooplankton indet
Zooplankton Species List – IMOS AusCPR Suvey (DDU Route) 2007/2008
Formaminifera
Hydromedusa indet.
Pelagobia longicirrata
Tomopteris carpenteri
Limacina retroversa
Spongiobranchaea australis
Siphonophore / nectophore
Ostracoda
Cope Nauplius indet (small)
Copepodite indet
Calanoides acutus
Calanus australis
Calanus propinquus
Calanus simillimus
Calocalanus sp.
Candacia maxima
Clausocalanus laticeps
Clausocalanus brevipes
Clausocalanus sp
Ctenocalanus citer
Euchaeta antarctica
Paraeuchaeta exigua
Haloptilus oxycephalus
Harpacticoid
Heterorhabdus austrinus
Metridia gerlachei
Metridia lucens
Mecynocera clausi
Neocalanus tonsus
Oithona similis
Oncaea sp.
Pleuromamma robusta
Pleuromamma abdominalis
Pleuromamma borealis
Pleuromamma gracilis
Pleuromamma sp
Rhincalanus gigas
Nauplius indet (R.gigas?)
Sapphirina sp
Temora turbinata
Hyperid sp. Indet
Primno macropa
Themisto gaudichaudi
Vibilia sp.
Euphausiid indet
Euphausiid indet calyptopis
Euphausiid indet furcilia
Euphausia superba
Euphausia frigida
Euphausia hanseni
Euphausia longirostris furcilia
Euphausia lucens
Euphausia similis
Euphausia similis
calyptopis
Euphausia similis var. armata
Euphausia spinifera
Euphausia triacantha
Euphausia vallentini
Euphausia vallentini furcilia
Nematoscelis megalops
Nyctiphanes australis
Thysanoessa vicina/macrura
Thysanoessa vicina/macrura calyptopis
Thysanoessa vicina/macrura furcilia
Decapoda zoea indet.
Chaetognatha indet.
Eukrohnia hamata
Sagitta gazellae
Salpa thompsoni (aggregate)
Appendicularia: Oikopleura?
Appendicularia: Fritillaria?
Fish larvae
Fish scales
Fish egg