• Title/Summary/Keyword: Antarctic ecosystem

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Current Status of Antarctic Environments and Resources

  • Park, Paul-Kilho;Sutton, Holly J.;Kim, Su-Am
    • Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.123-135
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    • 1998
  • Cooperative scientific research in Antarctic has been successful since the International Geophysical Year 1957/1958. Presently, 43 nations have joined the Antarctic Treaty as consultative parties or acceding states, and other treaties and agreements have evolved to conserve the integrity and to manage the resources of the Antarctic ecosystem. Although yet to be designated, tourism areas in Antarctica are under consideration. Due to its remoteness and vast magnitude, Antarctica's science is slowly emerging. Satellite technology has enabled observation of the progression of the ozone hole above Antarctica. Mineral exploitation has yet to take place, as has the transport of Antarctic icebergs to some arid nations. On the other hand, both seal and whale exploitations have occurred, devastating these populations. The lessons learned from past human greed are used to design krill and squid fisheries, though the life histories of these organisms are yet to be adequately understood. An ecosystem approach to managing Antarctic resource exploitation is essential. Procuring the needed logistics to do so is daunting, requiring the highest degree of international cooperation and educational outreach to nurture the needed effective scientific and engineering talent, both natural and social.

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High Latitude Antarctic Benthos: A 'Coevolution' of Nature Conservation and Ecosystem Research?

  • Gutt, Julian
    • Ocean and Polar Research
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.411-417
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    • 2001
  • Due to international law the Antarctic is currently the best protected large ecosystem on earth, providing the opportunity for scientific research into processes of both regional and global importance. However, it is impossible to carry out research activities without minor disturbances to the environment. The Weddell Sea with its shelf inhabiting fauna can be considered to be representative for the entire Antarctic shelf with exceptions. It has generally escaped major anthropogenic impact but it is the only area in the high latitude Antarctic where long-term research fishing has been carried out. There are two main results combining aspects of nature conservation and benthos research. Firstly, the use of dredges has clearly decreased over the last two decades, whilst the use of non-invasive underwater photography and video has significantly increased. Secondly, during the same period icebergs destroyed an area of the seafloor and its fauna more than 2000-times greater than the area affected by research trawls. The increased use of imaging methods, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and other modem instruments, as well as statistically based and coordinated sampling strategies can contribute to both a better understanding of ecosystem function and to an ongoing reduction in anthropogenic impact.

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Recent Development in Multi-national Marine Ecosystem Surveys along the Antarctic Peninsula

  • Kim, Su-Am
    • Ocean and Polar Research
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.425-431
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    • 2001
  • From an ecological point of view, the western part of the Atlantic sector is one of the most productive areas in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and krill-dependent predators such as fish, seals, and birds are abundant there, and most krill fisheries have operated in this area since 1970s. The hottest issues for the proper management of krill resources nowadays are to determine total biomass in this area, and to identify environmental forces controlling stock fluctuation. This paper reviews and collates information on ongoing oceanographic activities in the Antarctic Peninsula region concerning these issues. To delineate the status and function of Antarctic krill population in Antarctic marine ecosystems, multinational researches along the Antarctic Peninsula area have been developing recently. Four member states of CCAMLR (Japan, Russia, UK, and USA) had conducted acoustic surveys in January-February 2000 (socalled CCAMLR-2000 survey), and krill standing stock at 120 kHz was estimated to be 44.29 million metric tonnes in the western Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. On the other hand, the Southern Ocean GLOBEC (SO-GLOBEC) Programme has prepared a serial winter survey to examine the factors that govern krill survivorship and distribution in relation to shelf circulation processes. Ship-based surveys using ice-breakers are being conducted by three nations (Germany, UK, and USA) around the Marguerite Bay during the austral fall and winter 2001 and 2002. In addition to these two large-scale surveys, some CCAMLR members have carried out joint oceanographic surveys near the South Shetland Islands to detect ecosystem changes since 1994. Especially from December 1999 to February 2000, in conjunction with CCAMLR-2000 survey, four nations (Japan, Korea, Peru, and USA) conducted acoustic surveys to produce time-series information on krill distribution and biomass near the South Shetland areas. Though the aims of each program and the approach to solve the scientific questions were different each other, the results from each program fill the gaps between programs. Further cooperation and exchange in these activities could be beneficial to each program.

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Species Identification of Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Using the 2-frequency Difference Method (주파수차법을 이용한 남극크릴(Euphausia superba)의 종 식별에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Seok-Gwan;HAN, Inwoo;Hwang, Doo-Jin;Kim, Tae-Ho;An, Doo-hae;LEE, Kyounghoon
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.50 no.6
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    • pp.788-798
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    • 2017
  • Antarctic krill Euphausia superba are important components of the Antarctic marine ecosystem both economically and ecologically; to manage this species effectively, their distribution and abundance must be understood. Using the Kwang Ja-Ho (3,012 tonnage), a commercial fishing vessel, we conducted acoustic surveys during April 13-24, 2016, to estimate the distribution and population size of krill around the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Continent, We used acoustic techniques based on the dB-difference, a method used mainly to classify of marine species. We found that Antarctic krill were present in numbers over 99% at six survey stations, with the exception of Station 3, where we only found Electrona carlsbergi. There was no difference in cell size due to frequency differences, but echo signals differed between species: 4.7-12.0 dB for Antarctic krill, and -4.1~0 dB for Electrona carlsbergi.

The Species of Penguins and Penguins Occurring in the Vicinity of King Sejong Station (남극 세종기지 부근에 출현하는 펭귄)

  • Chang, Soon-Keun
    • Ocean and Polar Research
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    • v.21 no.2
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    • pp.137-147
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    • 1999
  • Penguins are one of the key constituent organisms in the Antarctic ecosystem. A total of 18 species of penguins occur only in the southern hemisphere from the Galapagos Archipelago to southern area off Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, South America, and the islands scattered in the Southern Ocean to the coast along the Antarctic Continent. In the Antarctic Treaty area, there are only 5 species of penguins such as Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthi), Adelie (P. adeliae), Chinstrap (p. antarctica), and Macaroni (Eudyptes chrysolophus) penguins. Two additional species, the King (Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus) and Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome) penguins, however, are distributed within the Antarctic Convergence. In the vicinity of king Sejong Station located in King George Island, the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula, 5 species are observed, among which 2 Pygoscelis species such as the Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins hatch their eggs and raise their chicks at the rookery 2km south offing Sejong Station in summer. Adelie penguins hatch their chicks in other place in King George Island. One Emperor penguin roamed on the frozen Maxwell Bay which has been frozen every two or three years with the approximate thickness of 60cm. And one Macaroni penguin also visited the rookery in summer. We should carry out researches on the penguins occurring in the vicinity of King Sejong Station to monitor the environmental changes around King Sejong Station and the South Shetland Islands.

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Short-Term Effect of Elevated Temperature on the Abundance and Diversity of Bacterial and Archaeal amoA Genes in Antarctic Soils

  • Han, Jiwon;Jung, Jaejoon;Park, Minsuk;Hyun, Seunghun;Park, Woojun
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.23 no.9
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    • pp.1187-1196
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    • 2013
  • Global warming will have far-reaching effects on our ecosystem. However, its effects on Antarctic soils have been poorly explored. To assess the effects of warming on microbial abundance and community composition, we sampled Antarctic soils from the King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula and incubated these soils at elevated temperatures of $5^{\circ}C$ and $8^{\circ}C$ for 14 days. The reduction in total organic carbon and increase in soil respiration were attributed to the increased proliferation of Bacteria, Fungi, and Archaea. Interestingly, bacterial ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) genes were predominant over archaeal amoA, unlike in many other environments reported previously. Phylogenetic analyses of bacterial and archaeal amoA communities via clone libraries revealed that the diversity of amoA genes in Antarctic ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotic communities were temperature-insensitive. Interestingly, our data also showed that the amoA of Antarctic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities differed from previously described amoA sequences of cultured isolates and clone library sequences, suggesting the presence of novel Antarctic-specific AOB communities. Denitrification-related genes were significantly reduced under warming conditions, whereas the abundance of amoA and nifH increased. Barcoded pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the major phyla in Antarctic soils and the effect of short-term warming on the bacterial community was not apparent.

Diversity of the Lichenized Fungi in King George Island, Antarctica, Revealed by Phylogenetic Analysis of Partial Large Subunit rDNA Sequences

  • Lee, Jin-Sung;Lee, Hong-Kum;Hur, Jae-Seoun;Andreev, Mikhail;Hong, Soon-Gyu
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.18 no.6
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    • pp.1016-1023
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    • 2008
  • Lichens are predominant and important components of flora in the terrestrial ecosystem of Antarctica. However, relatively few researches on the phylogenetic position of Antarctic lichen-forming fungi have been accomplished. In this study, partial sequences of nuclear large subunit rDNAs from 50 Antarctic specimens were obtained and the phylogeny was reconstructed. Antarctic lichen species were distributed in 4 orders, including the monophyletic order Agyrales, paraphyletic orders Pertusariales and Teloschistales, and polyphyletic order Lecanorales. Species diversity was highest in the order Lecanorales, followed by Teloschistales and Pertusariales. Based on the phylogeny and sequence similarity analyses, it is proposed that the taxonomy of Stereocaulon alpinum, Physcia caesia, Usnea aurantiacoatra, and Cladonia species should be revised by careful examination of their phenotypic and molecular characteristics. Six species known to be endemic to Antarctica, Catillaria corymbosa, Himantormia lugubris, Leptogium puberulum, Pertusaria pertusa, Rhizoplaca aspidophora, and Umbilicaria antarctica, formed unique lineages, implying independent origins in the Antarctic area.

Estimating the Abundance of Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba Using a Commercial Trawl Vessel (상업어선의 어군탐지기를 이용한 남극크릴(Euphausia superba) 자원량 추정)

  • Choi, Seok-Gwan;Han, Inwoo;An, Doo-hae;Chung, Sang-deok;Yoon, Eun-A;Lee, Kyounghoon
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.51 no.4
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    • pp.435-443
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    • 2018
  • The Antarctic krill Euphausia superba is important commercially and ecologically as a basic component of the Antarctic Ocean ecosystem. To manage this resource, it is important to determine the distribution and standing of krill in the water layer. Acoustic methods can capture information about the entire water layer quickly. Acoustic surveys were conducted from March 3 to March 14, 2017, using the commercial fishing boat Sejong (7,765 tons). Acoustic systems with a frequency of 38 kHz and a 200 kHz commercial echo sounder (ES70, Simrad, Norway) were used and the acquired data were processed using post processing software. The density and standing of Antarctic krill were determined using the two-frequency difference method, using the characteristics of two frequencies. To compare the frequency difference of krill, the method using the frequency difference according to the krill length, recommended by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the values extracted according to the krill length at survey stations where only krill were collected during the study period, were compared. The frequency difference ranges were 3.96-5.91 dB and -3.0~13.8 dB, respectively.

Ecological and Biogeochemical Response of Antarctic Ecosystems to Iron Fertilization and Implications on Global Carbon Cycle

  • Bathmann, Ulrich
    • Ocean and Polar Research
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    • v.27 no.2
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    • pp.231-235
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    • 2005
  • The European Iron Fertilization Experiment EIFEX studied the growth and decline of a phytoplankton bloom stimulated by fertilising $10km^2$ in the core of a mesoscale $(80{\times}120km)$ cyclonic eddy south of the Antarctic Polar Front with about 2 times 7 tonnes of iron sulphate. The phytoplankton accumulation induced by iron fertilization did not exceed $3{\mu}g\;chl\;a\;l^{-1}$ despite a draw down of $5{\mu}M$ of nitrate that should have resulted in at least double to triple the amount of phytoplankton biomass assuming regular Redfield-ratios for draw down after phytoplankton growth in the Southern Ocean. During EIFEX the fertilized core of the mesoscale eddy evolved to a hotspot for a variety of small and medium sized mesozooplankton copepods. In contrast to copepods, the biomass of salps (Salpa thompson)) that dominated zooplankton biomass before the onset of our experiment decreased to nearly extinction. Most of the species of the rnosozooplankton community showed extremely hiか feeding rates compared to literature values from Southern Ocean summer communities. At the end of the experiment, massive phytoplankton sedimentation reached the sea floor at about 3800m water depth.

Seasonal fluctuation and vertical distribution of Paraphysomonas(Chrysophyceae) off the coast near Syowa Station, East Ongul Island, Antarctica: -(Preliminary report)

  • TAKAHASHI Eiji
    • 한국생태학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 1999.05a
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    • pp.55-62
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    • 1999
  • Four species of Paraphysomonas collected from the fast- ice covered area Syowa Station, East Ongul Island ($69^{\circ}00'S,\;39^{\circ}35'$) ,Antarctica occurred in the seawater throughout the year and occasionally in the sea ice. P.. antarctica is distributed to a water depth of 35m at 51.3 during the period from August 1983 to January 1984 and also down to 600m St. 5 in September 1983 at cell concentrations of 300-350 cells/ml. The Paraphysomonas spp. were dominant during the period from July to November 1983 in the area studied. The mode of the occurrence and vertical distribution of Paraphysomonas apparently coresponds to those of the bacteria and orgarnic debris-like matter in the seawater. The main components of the plankton population in the area studied, under ice-covered conditions, are Paraphysomonas, Choanoflagellates and bacteria. This work clarified that Paraphysomonas is one o f the most important bacterivores in the microbial loop of the Antarctic marine ecosystem.

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