Algal composition, physico-chemical features, photosynthetic carbon metabolism, nitrogen cycling and the structure and metabolic properties of algal mats in lakes and streams of southern Victoria Land

A three year study of lakes and stream of southern Victoria Land was conducted from 1983-1986. In the first season, the algal composition and physico-chemical characteristics of South Victoria Land Streams was investigated. Four rivers were visited in the coure of the summer, once early in the season before they had begun to flow, and then several weeks later when discharge was near to its annual maximum. An additional 8 streams were examined less intensively in the course of the season. These all include Adams, Whangamata, Onyx, Bird, Salmon, Bartley, Fryxell, Commonwealth, Stream CC1 and CC2, Harrison and Miers.

Specific studies included
1) Overwintering algal biomass: naturally freeze-dried algal mats were quantified by transect analysis and by chlorophyll a samples,
2) Chlorophyll a biomass levels: stream samples were taken from areas with visually maximum biomass at each site during early and late season and assayed by fluorometer or spectrophotometer,
3) Algal community structure: taxonomic analysis of the stream periphyton,
4) Algal growth and production: artificial substrates deployed and processed for chlorophyll a analysis, 5) Metabolic responses by Antarctic stream algae: recovery from freeze dry conditions (early season) and nutrient uptake by developed communities,
6) Dissolved organic carbon: measured from water samples,
7) Nutrient extraction from stream bed soils: nitrogen and phosphorous released after soaking for 12 hours in glacier melt water,
8) Stream nutrient levels: chemical analysis of water samples,
9) Diurnal studies on variability in nutrient concentrations: monitoring stream parameters every three hours for a 26 hour period,
10) Lake Miers studies: a broad range of limnological measurements made at Lake Miers, possibly the southern most meromictic waterbody no the continent.

In the second season, studies were further extended on the epilithic algal and bacterial communities of southern Victoria Land streams to follow respiratory and photosynthetic carbon metabolism by communities at two select stream sites. Nitrogen cycling and photosynthetic metabolism in Lake Fryxell and Lake Vanda was also examined. In the third and final season, preliminary analysis of waters on the McMurdo Ice Shelf and the structure and metabolic properties of the stream algal mats, with special reference to temperature, light and nutrient effects and factors controlling nitrogen cycling, and photosynthesis in Dry Valley lakes (Lake Fryxell, Lake Vanda and Lake Miers), with particular attention to the deep chlorophyll maximum was studied.