Collection of marine sediment, algae, invertebrate and fish samples from multiple sites at diveable depths in the Ross Sea Region

In order to resolve the contribution of microbes (bacteria) in the benthic food web under the sea ice in Antarctica and to determine the level of recycling of carbon that occurs in the community, samples of sediment, algal and faunal (benthic invertebrates and fish) samples were collected by SCUBA, and hook and line, from Cape Armitage, Little Razorback Island, Cape Evans and Cape Bird in the Ross Sea region. Samples were immediately frozen for future chemical analyses (stable isotopes and fatty acids).

By using these chemical tracers we hope to track the flow of energy through the food web and better understand linkages among the marine community. A secondary objective is to resolve the input of nutrients from significant aggregations of penguins and seals to the benthic food web. We sampled at Cape Bird, an area with a significant penguin rookery and at Little Razorback Island, an area which hosts a large aggregation of Weddell seals.