Profiling hydrocarbons and nutrient distribution and mobility around Pedro Vicente Maldonado Station, Antarctica

The extreme conditions in Antarctica are not favorable to plants photosynthesis. Most of the primary producers are bound to the sea. The mechanisms to convey nutrients from the sea to the inland areas in Antarctica is not well defined.

Hypothetically, birds play an important role as the conveyor. Digestive systems of the birds convert the organic matters back into inorganic nutrients for the terrestrial organisms during the short summer (Figure 1). Data obtained from this study shall enable the elaboration of the process in greater detail.

As for the vertical transport, there is a well-known hypothesis; the “grass hopping” effect for long range transport of chemicals. Hypothetically, chemicals may transport through a long distance through the “grass hopping” effect. In fact, the existence of pesticides in polar bears in the Arctic was attempted to be explained by using the “grass hopping” types of long range transport.

However, there are missing gaps in the southern hemisphere. Hence, this project is undertaken to study the long range transport by using petroleum hydrocarbons as a model.