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Ecology of Sea Ice Algae
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Ecology of Sea Ice Algae

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Environmental Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 June 2021) | Viewed by 13986

Image courtesy of Dr. Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Arctic Research Center and Aquatic Biology, Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
Interests: sea ice ecology; arctic marine ecology; arctic estuaries; instrumentation and sampling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sea ice algae play a significant and important role in polar regions. They are the only carbon source in the food chain during the ice-covered spring period in which light increases, though also regulated by the snow cover. The question is: how can low-light-adapted ice algae cope with the foreseen decrease in snow cover thickness and increased light transmittances? What are the effects of these factors on the ecology of sea ice algae and their trophic importance regarding decreasing sea ice extent? What is the importance of sea ice algae in the exchange of CO2 between atmosphere, sea ice, and water? There is a need for ice algae-sympagic biota interactions and more detailed studies of sympagic–pelagic–benthic couplings. The purpose of the invited Special Issue is to publish new research with a focus on the ecological role of sea ice algae and their ecology.

The Special Issue will publish high-quality papers on the following topics from both the Arctic and Antarctica:

  • Trophic relations;
  • Adaptation strategies;
  • Modelling;
  • New techniques;
  • Seeding by ice algae;
  • Ice algae and bacteria;
  • Extreme environment.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Trophic relations
  • Adaptation strategies
  • Modelling
  • New techniques
  • Seeding by ice algae

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 2879 KiB  
Article
The Sub-Ice Algal Communities of the Barents Sea Pack Ice: Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Biomass and Species
by Else Nøst Hegseth and Cecilie von Quillfeldt
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(2), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10020164 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2783
Abstract
This work summarizes ice algal studies, presented as biomass and species temporal and spatial distribution, during 11 cruises conducted between 1986 and 2012. The majority of the biomass was found as loosely attached sub-ice algal layers, and sampling required diving. A maximum of [...] Read more.
This work summarizes ice algal studies, presented as biomass and species temporal and spatial distribution, during 11 cruises conducted between 1986 and 2012. The majority of the biomass was found as loosely attached sub-ice algal layers, and sampling required diving. A maximum of 40 mg chlorophyll m−2 and 15.4 × 109 cells m−2 was measured in May. The species diversity was separated in zones based on ice thickness, with the highest biodiversity in the medium-thick ice of 30–80 cm. Nitzschia frigida was the most common species. There was a significant positive relationship between the dominance of this species and ice thickness, and it dominated completely in thick ice. Other common species, such as N. promare and Fossulaphycus arcticus reacted oppositely, by becoming less dominant in thick ice, but the positive correlation between total cell numbers and number of these three species indicated that they would most likely dominate in most populations. Melosira arctica was found several times below medium-thick annual ice. Algae occurred from top to bottom in the ice floes and in infiltration layers, but in very low numbers inside the ice. The bipolar dinoflagellates Polarella glacialis inhabited the ice, both as vegetative cells and cysts. The algal layers detached from the ice and sank in late spring when melting started. The cells in the sediments form an important food source for benthic animals throughout the year. Fjord populations survive the winter on the bottom and probably form next year’s ice algal inoculum. A few ‘over-summer’ populations found in sheltered locations might provide supplementary food for ice amphipods in late summer. The future faith of the ice flora is discussed in view of a warmer climate, with increased melting of the Arctic ice cover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Sea Ice Algae)
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12 pages, 1840 KiB  
Article
Upwelling Irradiance below Sea Ice—PAR Intensities and Spectral Distributions
by Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen, Michael Bjerg-Nielsen, Tanja Stratmann, Ian Hawes and Brian K. Sorrell
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(8), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9080830 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2290
Abstract
Upwelling and downwelling spectral (320–920 nm) distributions and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) intensities were measured below a first-year land-fast sea ice in a western Greenland fjord with and without a snow cover. Time-series of surface upwelling PAR, downwelling PAR, and under-ice PAR were [...] Read more.
Upwelling and downwelling spectral (320–920 nm) distributions and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) intensities were measured below a first-year land-fast sea ice in a western Greenland fjord with and without a snow cover. Time-series of surface upwelling PAR, downwelling PAR, and under-ice PAR were also obtained. Spectral distributions of upwelling and downwelling irradiances were similar except for reduced intensities in the UV, the red, and NIR parts of the spectrum when the ice was snow-covered. Upwelling PAR amounted to about 10% of downwelling intensities, giving 5.1 µmol photons m−2 s−1 at the bottom of the ice with a snow cover and 8.2 µmol photons m−2 s−1 without. PAR partitioning analyses showed that the upwelling was related to scattering by suspended particles in the water column. A snow melt increased under-ice daily maximum downwelling PAR from 50 to 180 µmol photons m−2 s−1 and overall under-ice PAR of 55 and 198 µmol photons m−2 s−1 with 10% upwelling. It is concluded that upwelling PAR below sea ice might be an important factor regarding sea ice algae photophysiology and performance with a 10% higher PAR; specifically when PAR > Ek the light saturation point of the sea ice algae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Sea Ice Algae)
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14 pages, 6387 KiB  
Article
Photobiological Effects on Ice Algae of a Rapid Whole-Fjord Loss of Snow Cover during Spring Growth in Kangerlussuaq, a West Greenland Fjord
by Brian K. Sorrell, Ian Hawes, Tanja Stratmann and Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(8), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9080814 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2383
Abstract
Snow cover on sea ice is the most important factor controlling light availability for sea ice algae, but it is predicted by climate models to become more variable and stochastic. Here, we document effects of a sudden, complete loss of the entire snow [...] Read more.
Snow cover on sea ice is the most important factor controlling light availability for sea ice algae, but it is predicted by climate models to become more variable and stochastic. Here, we document effects of a sudden, complete loss of the entire snow cover on first-year sea ice at Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland, due to a natural Föhn wind event that caused a ca. 17 °C air temperature increase over 36 h. We applied Imaging-PAM fluorometry to examine effects of snow cover on algal distribution and photobiology and observed a rapid decrease in algal biomass associated with loss of the skeletal ice crystal layer on the underside of the ice that had supported most of the visible algae. Furthermore, the remaining algae were photobiologically stressed, as seen in a significant decrease in the dark-acclimated fluorescence yield (ΦPSII_max) from 0.55 before snow loss to 0.41 after. However, recovery in the dark suggested that non-photosynthetic quenching was successfully dissipating excess energy in the community and that there was little photodamage. An observed decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency α from 0.22 to 0.16 µmol é m−2 s−1 is therefore likely to be due to photoacclimation and the change in community composition. Centric diatoms and flagellates were the main taxa lost in the snow loss event, whereas the sea ice specialist Nitzschia frigida increased in numbers. These observations are similar to those seen in artificial snow-clearing experiments and consistent with snow clearing being a useful approach for investigating the complex interactions between snow cover, irradiance fluctuations, and ice algal performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Sea Ice Algae)
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11 pages, 1741 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Decimeter Scale Variations of Physical and Photobiological Parameters in a Late Winter First-Year Sea Ice in Southwest Greenland
by Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen, Clara Marie Petersen, Dorte Haubjerg Søgaard and Brian Keith Sorrell
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9010060 - 7 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2207
Abstract
Small-scale variation in the physical and biological properties of sea ice was examined by collecting nine sea ice cores within 1 m2 in a land-fast first-year ice in southwest Greenland in late winter. Cores were sectioned in four segments and sea ice [...] Read more.
Small-scale variation in the physical and biological properties of sea ice was examined by collecting nine sea ice cores within 1 m2 in a land-fast first-year ice in southwest Greenland in late winter. Cores were sectioned in four segments and sea ice physical, biological, and photobiological parameters were measured. The main purpose was to explore the decimeter-scale horizontal and vertical variations in common sea ice parameters. ANOVA analyses revealed significant within-core variations for bulk salinity, brine salinity, brine volume, gas volume, chlorophyll a (Chl a), and the maximum light-limited photosynthetic efficiency (α). Only temperature and bulk salinity variations were significant between cores, and no significant variations were found within or between cores for other photobiological parameters. Power analyses were applied to determine the number of replicates needed to achieve a significance at p < 0.05 with sufficient power, and showed a minimum of four and preferably five replicate cores to detect the observed variability in this first-year ice. It is emphasized that these results only apply to this type of first-year ice in late winter/early spring, and that different variations may apply to other types of ice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Sea Ice Algae)
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24 pages, 4921 KiB  
Article
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Ice Algal Trophic Markers—With Recommendations about Their Application
by Eva Leu, Thomas A. Brown, Martin Graeve, Jozef Wiktor, Clara J. M. Hoppe, Melissa Chierici, Agneta Fransson, Sander Verbiest, Ane C. Kvernvik and Michael J. Greenacre
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2020, 8(9), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8090676 - 2 Sep 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2650
Abstract
Assessing the relative importance of sea ice algal-based production is often vital for studies about climate change impacts on Arctic marine ecosystems. Several types of lipid biomarkers and stable isotope ratios are widely used for tracing sea ic-associated (sympagic) vs. pelagic particulate organic [...] Read more.
Assessing the relative importance of sea ice algal-based production is often vital for studies about climate change impacts on Arctic marine ecosystems. Several types of lipid biomarkers and stable isotope ratios are widely used for tracing sea ic-associated (sympagic) vs. pelagic particulate organic matter (POM) in marine food webs. However, there has been limited understanding about the plasticity of these compounds in space and time, which constrains the robustness of some of those approaches. Furthermore, some of the markers are compromised by not being unambiguously specific for sea ice algae, whereas others might only be produced by a small sub-group of species. We analyzed fatty acids, highly branched isoprenoids (HBIs), stable isotope ratios of particulate organic carbon (POC) (δ13C), as well as δ13C of selected fatty acid markers during an Arctic sea ice algal bloom, focusing on spatial and temporal variability. We found remarkable differences between these approaches and show that inferences about bloom characteristics might even be contradictory between markers. The impact of environmental factors as causes of this considerable variability is highlighted and explained. We emphasize that awareness and, in some cases, caution is required when using lipid and stable isotope markers as tracers in food web studies and offer recommendations for the proper application of these valuable approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Sea Ice Algae)
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