Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC19 Benthic Processes and Ecology

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

McClintic, M, A, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA, mamcclin@unity.ncsu.edu

DeMaster, D, J, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA, dave_demaster@ncsu.edu

Thomas, C, J, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA, cjthomas@unity.ncsu.edu

Smith, C, R, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA, csmith@soest.hawaii.edu

COUPLING OF PELAGIC AND BENTHIC FLUXES ON THE CONTINENTAL SHELF OF THE WEST ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

Temporal variability in the delivery and fate of settling particles was investigated along the west Antarctic Peninsula (ca. 600m depth) in Nov. 1999, March and June 2000. Initial results suggest that benthic processes are less seasonal than their pelagic counterparts. Particle trap fluxes between Nov. and March were comparable (0.15 g/m2/d) to those between March and June. Particulate Th-234xs/organic C ratios varied from 10-13 dpm/mg OC in the upper traps (170mab) to 24-33 dpm/mg OC in the lower traps (150mab). Th-234xs activity in settling particles ranged from 1330-3460 dpm/g, whereas surface sediment activities varied from 0.5-22 dpm/g. Sediment in guts of epifauna from the area typically had Th-234xs activities between 50 and 380 dpm/g, higher than surface sediment and relatively invariable with season. Th-234xs bioturbation coefficients in the sediments varied from 1-35 cm2/yr, and this parameter also showed little temporal variation between Nov. and June. Sediment inventories of Th-234xs showed no significant change between cruises (range 1-4 dpm/cm2).

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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