Antarctic Radiolaria in Late Winter/Early Spring Weddell Sea Waters

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Abstract
During the 1981 cruise of the R/V Mikhail Somov, we examined the radiolarian population inhabiting Antarctic waters in late winter/early spring (October-November). Samples were collected with plankton tows at stations at the ice edge as well as hundreds of kilometers south of the ice edge. Concentrations of polycystine and phaeodarian Radiolaria in this unique data set are low, with abundances comparable to those reported from some less productive open-ocean regions. Polycystine Radiolaria occur in highest concentrations in the upper 100 m of the water column at the ice edge and beneath the sea ice. At the sea-ice stations, intermediate tows (100-200 m) contain the highest abundances of Phaeodaria. Spongotrochus glacialis is the most abundant polycystine present in shallow (0-100 m) and intermediate (100-200 m) tows, with Spongurus pylomaticus and Spongotrochus glacialis occurring in higher concentrations in deep tows (1000-2000 m) than anyother polycystine radiolarian. In all the shallow and intermediate tows taken within the sea ice, the most abundant Phaeodaria present is Challengeron bicorne. At the ice edge, Protocystis harstoni replaces C. bicorne as the most commonly found phaeodarian.

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