The distribution, taxonomy, physiology and feeding habits of pelagic amphipods in the Ross Sea

Amphipods were collected by plankton tow over two seasons. Approximately 1200 individual amphipods were collected.

About 75% of the amphipods collected were preserved in vials of absolute ethanol for DNA studies. The remaining 25% were split evenly between 4-5% EM grade gluteraldehyde, 5-6% formalin, and frozen dried for SEM, gut content analysis and isotope analysis respectively. They will be examined for 1) an investigation of the diet of pelagic amphipods by means of visual microscopic gut content analysis, together with stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of the amphipod, 2) sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COXI) gene of each morphologically identified species and 3) a comparison of species composition and their respective diets between pelagic amphipods from sea ice covered coastal environments, and those found in the open water of the Ross Sea.