Environmental and Biological Variability in the McMurdo Ice Shelf Ecosystem

摘要: The McMurdo Ice Shelf is an ablation region on the northwestern side of Ross Shelf. surface forms largest non-marine aquatic ecosystem in Sound with interlinking system lakes, pools and streams occuring across more than 1500 km2. Two major types ice shelf morphology different physical biological characteristics were distinguished: “Pinnacle Ice” many small interconnected streams, “Undulating continuous moraine cover discrete lakes up to 104 m2. flora these dominated by benthic rather planktonic communities. Cyanobacteria which coat base mats films varying thickness are generally most commonly occurring abundant organisms. Benthic diatoms coccoid chlorophytes also found throughout but tend dominate waters Pinnacle Undulating Ice. There large variations conductivity nutrient content waters, a marine tidal influence some parts. water bodies subject continual change as moves, marked temporal variability environmental conditions diel, seasonal long-term (years decades) basis. This area contains extensive microbial growths southern Victoria Land potential inoculum source micro-organisms for entire region.