Coastal Plankton Assemblages in the Vicinity of Galindez Island and Neumayer Channel (Western Antarctic Peninsula) during the First Joint Turkish - Ukrainian Antarctic Research Expedition

Abstract

Western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming areas on Earth and coastal areas of the region are foremost affected. Here we present the state of coastal plankton assemblages of the Galindez Island and Neumayer Channel, Western Antarctic Peninsula in austral autumn (April 2016). Surface water temperatures were ranged between -0.12 degrees C and -0.97 degrees C and average chlorophyll-a concentrations were 0.65 mu g/l. A total of 50 phytoplankton and 24 zooplankton taxa (15 copepods and 9 meroplanktonic species) were identified during the sampling period. Diatom species (78%) predominated phytoplankton and the highest abundance was 820 cells l(-1), while the highest number of phytoplankton species was 42. Zooplankton was prevailed by the dominance of copepods, except contribution of meroplankton at the Neumayer channel. Highest zooplankton abundance was 101 ind.m(-3). The sampling season was the transition period from the productive spring-summer to dormant winter conditions, which explains the low abundances registered, however, on contrary to low cell abundances, diversity was high within plankton.