Coastal fjords reveal temporal patterns of lower salinity by glacial meltwater input along the western Antarctic Peninsula

CUSICK, ALLISON; MASCIONI, MARTINA; STRANEO, FIAMMA; VERNET, MARIA

Congreso; SCAR 2020 ONLINE; 2020

SCAR

The nearshore waters of the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) are a region experiencing some of the fastest rates of warming, with over 87% of the marine terminating glaciers in retreat. Glacial meltwater enters the coastal ocean through fjords and embayments, altering the physical and chemical nature of the marine environment. Freshwater input can change salinity, temperature, nutrient availability, overall light availability, as well as provide greater stratification layer, favorable to phytoplankton growth. The resulting influx may influence the succession patterns of these primary producers on a seasonal or inter-annual basis. Variability in freshwater presence may favor different phytoplankton assemblages (e.g., favoring nanoflagellates over diatoms) and shift the overall seasonal timing of phytoplankton blooms. An understanding of the meltwater patterns along the WAP may help to elucidate spatial and temporal patterns seen in phytoplankton community composition and production.In this study, sampling for conductivity, temperature, pressure, and turbidity in nearshore wasters between 62S and 65S was conducted through a citizen science project ? FjordPhyto ? in collaboration with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators vessels (IAATO). The presence of meltwater within various fjords along the western Antarctic Peninsula was analyzed, testing the hypothesis that meltwater would be observed earliest in the summer season within fjords along the northern Antarctic Peninsula, with meltwater occurrence extending southward as the season progresses. This analysis provides a preliminary glance at the variability in meltwater distribution patterns amongst fjords along the peninsula from November to March.