Proliferation of Ice Algae in the Syowa Station Area,Antarctica

The distribution and seasonal variation of ice algae were investigated in the vicinity of Syowa Station (69°00\u27S, 39°35\u27E), Antarctica. The plant pigments, chlorophyll a and phaeophytin, were detected from top to bottom of the sea ice. However, the proliferation of ice algae occurred significantly at the bottom of the sea ice to make it brown in autumn and spring. The autumnal outburst of algae was found in the more limited regions which were covered with the ice formed newly than the regions in which the spring proliferation occurred. The autumnal proliferation of algae also occurred in the wintered ice as well as in the new ice but algal biomass in the old ice was less than in the new ice. The annual production of ice algae in the Syowa Station area was assumed as 1.50 to 3.25gC/m^2 based on the present data of algal biomass. These results show the potential importance of ice algae in the marine ecosystems of the polar regions