Production and succession investigations of phytoplankton and zooplankton from onshore, tidecrack, ice floes and epibenthic samples at Cape Bird

The phytoplankton and zooplankton was samples at Cape Bird to determine seasonal trends in the populations structure of onshore communities, determine if a separate tidecrack community exists, the succession and production of epontic algae and associated zooplankton, the succession of epibenthic algae, to determine the level of primary productivity and to monitor environmental factors affecting photosynthetic activity. Surface seawater samples were taken every few days for the determinatin of chlorophyll concentration, salinity, oxygen concentration and quantitative analysis of zooplankton abundance and succession over the summer. Productivity of phytoplankton was measured at 5 day intervals by the oxygen 'light and dark' bottle method. Large volumes of seawater were pumped through a plankton net for a large collection of plankton for taxonomic identification. Volumetric samples were taken from a tidecrack every five days with chlorophyll concentration measured and samples of algae and zooplankton measured. Ice floes which were pushed up against the fast ice were sampled for algae in the lower levels and chlorophyll concentration and productivity of the algae was measured and bucket samples of mush ice and water were taken from around the floes to determine the phytoplankton and zooplankton associated with the ice floes. Samples were preserved for taxonomic purposes. Every five days samples of algae and animals were taken with an epibenthic sledge to desribe succession of phytoplankton in the epibenthic community. The abundance of copepods collected appeared to vary in abundance during a 24 hour period. To determine if there was a regular peak in surface abundance, samples were collected by taking 10 sweeps every four hours for two 48 hour periods. Collected copepod ovigerous females were separated out for culturing where development of the eggs was investigated.