Variability of Nonionellina labradorica Dawson in Surface Sediments from Kongsfjorden,West Spitsbergen

Kongsfjorden is a fjord in Spitsbergen（Svalbard archipelago）that lies adjacent to both Arctic and Atlantic water masses and is therefore a suitable site to understand the effects of climate change on ecosystems.To decipher the effect of the lateral advection of transformed Atlantic water （TAW）within the fjord,spatial variations of foraminiferal tests,their test size variations and stable isotopic composition（δ^（13）C andδ^（18）O）in the surface sediments were studied.Total organic carbon and textural analyses were also carried out.The dominant benthic foraminifera included Nonionellina labradorica,Elphidium excavatum,Cassidulina reniforme,Quinqueloculina stalkeri and Islandiella islandica.Nonionellina labradorica was the predominant species in the outer fjord,whereas Elphidium excavatum and Cassidulina reniforme were dominant in the inner fjord.Total organic carbon and the test size of Nonionellina labradorica within the fjord were highly correlated（r=0.97）and both showed a decreasing trend towards the inner fjord.Based on the distribution and abundance of Nonionellina labradorica as well as temperature profiles,we suggest that there was little or no major change in the lateral advection of TAW within the fjord in the immediate past.

Phytoplankton abundance and community structure in the Antarctic polar frontal region during austral summer of 2009

The Antarctic polar front region in the Southern Ocean is known to be most productive. We studied the phytoplankton community structure in the Indian sector at this frontal location during late austral summer (February, 2009) onboard R/V Akademic Boris Petrov. We used the phytoplankton and microheterotrophs abundance, as also the associated physico-chemical parameters to explain the low phytoplankton abundance in the study region. This study emphasizes the shift of phytoplankton, from large (>10 μm) to small (<10 μm) size. The phytoplankton abundance appears to be controlled by physical parameters and by nutrient concentrations and also by the microheterotrophs (ciliates and dinoflagellates) which exert a strong grazing pressure. This probably reduces small (<10 μm) and large (>10 μm) phytoplankton abundance during the late austral summer. This study highlights the highly productive polar front nevertheless becomes a region of low phytoplankton abundance, due to community shifts towards pico-phytoplankton (<10 μm) during late austral summer.

Secondary Calcification of Planktic Foraminifera from the Indian Sector of Southern Ocean

This study focused on planktic foraminifera in plankton tows and surface sediments from the western Indian sector of Southern Ocean in order to evaluate the potential foraminiferal secondary calcification and/or dissolution in the sediment. It is found that the symbiotic foraminiferal species are abundant in the subtropical region, whereas non-symbiotic species dominate in the sub-Antarctic and polar frontal regions. The distribution of the symbiotic and non-symbiotic foraminiferal species is controlled by temperature, salinity, light, nutrients and phytoplankton biomass. There is also a lateral southern extent in abundance of planktic foraminifera from surface sediments to plankton tows. The shell weights of the planktic foraminifera N. pachyderma, G. bulloides and G. ruber within the surface sediments are on an average heavier by 27%, 34% and 40% respectively than shells of the same size within the plankton tows, indicative of secondary calcification. The planktic foraminiferal isotopes show the presence of heavier isotopes in the surface sediment foraminifera as compared to plankton tows, thus confirming secondary calcification. Secondary calcification in G. ruber occurs in the euphotic zone, whereas in case of N. pachyderma and G. builoides it is at deeper depths. We also observed a decrease in the shell spines in surface sediment foraminifera as compared to plankton tows, indicative of the morphological changes that foraminifera underwent during gametogenesis.

Dynamics of sea-ice biogeochemistry in the coastal Antarctica during transition from summer to winter

The seasonality of carbon dioxide partial pressure （pC02）, air-sea CO2 fluxes and associated environ- mental parameters were investigated in the Antarctic coastal waters. The in-situ survey was carried out from the austral summer till the onset of winter （January 2012, February 2010 and March 2009） in the Enderby Basin. Rapid decrease in pCO2 was evident under the sea-ice cover in January, when both water column and sea-ice algal activity resulted in the removal of nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon （DIC） and increase in pH. The major highlight of this study is the shift in the dominant biogeochemica/ factors from summer to early winter. Nutrient limitation （low Si/N）, sea-ice cover, low photosynthetically active radiation （PAR）, deep mixed layer and high upwelling velocity contributed towards higher pCO2 during March （early winter）. CO2 fluxes suggest that the Enderby Basin acts as a strong CO2 sink during January （-81 mmol m-2 d 1）, however it acts as a weak sink of CO2 with -2.4 and -1.7 mmol m 2 d-1 during February and March, respectively. The present work, concludes that sea ice plays a dual role towards climate change, by decreasing sea surface pCO2 in summer and enhancing in early winter. Our observations emphasize the need to address seasonal sea-ice driven CO2 flux dynamics in assessing Antarctic contributions to the global oceanic CO2 budget.

Contrasting Productivity and Redox Potential in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

Understanding the past and present changes is critical for evaluating the future climatic changes. In order to understand the paleoproductivity and depositional environments of Northern In- dian Ocean, two sediment cores were collected, one each from the Arabian Sea （lat. 16°51.40′N and long. 71°54.37′E, water depth 803 m） and the Bay of Bengal （lat. 13°05.35′N and long. 91°28.21′E, wa- ter depth 3 054 m）. The surface seawater samples indicate higherpCO2 values in Arabian Sea as com- pared to the Bay of Bengal. The sediment organic carbon variations along with sedimentological and other geochemical parameters were studied. Sediment organic carbon varied from 0.5%--4.7% and 0.3%-1.22% in Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, respectively. In Arabian Sea, low productivity, oxic conditions and less intense southwest monsoon prevailed during the deglacial period, whereas productivity has increased from last 16 kyr to the modern age. In the Bay of Bengal, organic carbon decreased from the Last Glacial Maxima （LGM） to the modern age, indicating higher productivity in the past as compared to modern age. Fe was associated with organic carbon in the Bay of Bengal and increased during LGM, showing similar trend to that of organic carbon, indicating that Fe may be the limiting factor for the growth of phytoplankton in the Bay of Bengal in the modern age. In the Bay of Bengal, Mn is enriched during modern age and is depleted during LGM, whereas chromium showed the opposite trend indicating anoxic conditions during the LGM, whereas in Arabian Sea the trends are opposite to the Bay of Bengal.