Dataset: Plankton abundances from phytoplankton experiments on the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP0608 cruise in the Ross Sea, Southern Ocean during 2006(CORSACS project, Antarctic microzooplankton project)

Abundances of bacteria, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, diatoms, and other phytoplankton from temperature and light experiments on Antarctic phytoplankton and microzooplankton.

Experimental Design:

Experiments were conducted during the CORSACS (Controls On Ross Sea Algal Community Structure) expedition in November 2006 to the Ross Sea, Antarctica, onboard the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer (cruise NBP-0608). Water was collected at 76 50' S, 173 47' E using a trace metal clean towed-intake surface water Teflon diaphragm pumping system (Bruland et al., 2005). Sea surface temperature at this location was -1.5 deg C at the time of water collection. Water was prescreened through acid-washed 200 um Nitex mesh to eliminate large zooplankton and collected into a 50-L mixing carboy. Collected water was gently mixed and dispensed into 24 4.5-L acid washed trace metal clean clear polycarbonate bottles for incubation. Four treatments were used with six replicates per treatment. Bottles were incubated in two temperature controlled deck-board incubators housed in deck vans under halogen lights (Feng et al., 2009; Hare et al., 2007). Irradiance was 2000 uE m2 s-1 without screening. Incubators were screened with neutral density filter and measured irradiances in the four treatments were:

Low light, low temperature (LLLT): 61 uE m2 s-1
Low light, high temperature treatment (LLHT): 45 uE m2 s-1
High light, low temperature (HLLT): 321 uE m2 s-1
High light, high temperature (HLHT): 320 uE m2 s-1

One incubator was maintained at 0 deg C, while the temperature in the other was gradually increased to 4 deg C over the course of 24 h. Bottles were incubated for eight days.  All sampling occurred under a laminar flow hood using trace metal clean techniques.

Bruland, K.W., E.L. Rue, G.J. Smith, and G.R. DiTullio. 2005. Iron, macronutrients and diatom blooms in the Peru upwelling regime: brown and blue waters of Peru. Marine Chemistry 93: 81-103.

Feng, Y., C.E. Hare, K. Leblanc, G.R. DiTullio, P.A. Lee, S.W. Wilhelm, J. Sun, J.M. Rose, N. Nemcek, I. Benner, and D.A. Hutchins. 2009. The effects of increased pCO2 and temperature on the North Atlantic Spring Bloom: I. The phytoplankton community and biogeochemical response. Marine Ecology Progress Series 388: 13-25.

Hare, C.E., K. Leblanc, G.R. DiTullio, R.M. Kudela, Y. Zhang, P.A. Lee, S.F. Riseman, and D.A. Hutchins. 2007. Consequences of increased temperature and CO2 for phytoplankton community structure in the Bering Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 352: 9-16.