USAP-DC

{"dp_type": "Dataset", "free_text": "benthic communities"}

[{"awards": "1745057 Walker, Sally; 1745064 Perez-Huerta, Alberto; 0739512 Walker, Sally; 1745080 Gillikin, David", "bounds_geometry": null, "date_created": "Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Adamussium colbecki is a large thin-shelled scallop common in Antarctic waters and well represented in the fossil record. Shell nitrogen isotopes in carbonate bound organic matter (d15NCBOM) have the potential to record sea ice state over time. Recent studies illustrated that d15NCBOM values provide a similar proxy as soft tissue d15N values which are in turn are predicably related to food d15N values (Gillikin et al., 2017, GCA, 200, 55\u201366, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2016.12.008). Sea-ice organic N should have higher d15N values compared to open water organics due to nitrate draw down in the ice (Fripiat et al., 2014, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 28, 115\u2013130, doi:10.1002/2013GB004729). To test this hypothesis we analyzed A. colbecki shells from Explorers Cove and Bay of Sails, western McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. These sites have different sea ice states: persistent (multiannual) sea ice at Explorers Cove and annual sea ice (that melts out every year) at Bay of Sails. Six adults shells collected at these sites in 2008 (3 from each site) and two juveniles collected in 2016 from Explorers Cove were be serially sampled for d15NCBOM values from the growing shell margin to the umbo. d15NCBOM values from Explorers Cove with persistent sea ice cover were consistently higher (+10 \u00b1 0.7 \u2030) than those from Bay of Sails where the sea ice melts out every year (+8 \u00b1 0.5 \u2030; t-test p\u003c0.0001). d15NCBOM data from Mid- to Late Holocene shells that grew in these locations will also be presented. We posit that nitrogen isotopes in A. colbecki shells have a high potential to record sea ice cover.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "keywords": "Adamussium Colbecki; Antarctica; Biota; Carbon Isotopes; Explorers Cove; Nitrogen Isotopes; Oxygen Isotope; Scallop", "locations": "Explorers Cove; Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "persons": "Gillikin, David; Puhalski, Emma; Camarra, Steve; Cronin, Kelly; Verheyden, Anouk; Walker, Sally", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores; Collaborative research: The Antarctic Scallop as Key to Paleoenvironments and Sea Ice Conditions: Understanding the Modern to Predict the Past", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000203", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores"}, {"proj_uid": "p0010238", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative research: The Antarctic Scallop as Key to Paleoenvironments and Sea Ice Conditions: Understanding the Modern to Predict the Past"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen isotopes in the shell of the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki as a proxy for sea ice cover in Antarctica.", "uid": "601764", "west": null}, {"awards": "1744570 Galloway, Aaron; 1744584 Klein, Andrew; 1744602 Iken, Katrin; 1744550 Amsler, Charles", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-67.77137 -64.77195,-67.3795463 -64.77195,-66.9877226 -64.77195,-66.59589890000001 -64.77195,-66.2040752 -64.77195,-65.8122515 -64.77195,-65.4204278 -64.77195,-65.0286041 -64.77195,-64.6367804 -64.77195,-64.2449567 -64.77195,-63.853133 -64.77195,-63.853133 -65.16396350000001,-63.853133 -65.555977,-63.853133 -65.9479905,-63.853133 -66.34000400000001,-63.853133 -66.73201750000001,-63.853133 -67.124031,-63.853133 -67.5160445,-63.853133 -67.90805800000001,-63.853133 -68.3000715,-63.853133 -68.692085,-64.2449567 -68.692085,-64.6367804 -68.692085,-65.0286041 -68.692085,-65.4204278 -68.692085,-65.8122515 -68.692085,-66.2040752 -68.692085,-66.59589890000001 -68.692085,-66.9877226 -68.692085,-67.3795463 -68.692085,-67.77137 -68.692085,-67.77137 -68.3000715,-67.77137 -67.90805800000001,-67.77137 -67.5160445,-67.77137 -67.124031,-67.77137 -66.73201750000001,-67.77137 -66.34000400000001,-67.77137 -65.9479905,-67.77137 -65.555977,-67.77137 -65.16396350000001,-67.77137 -64.77195))"], "date_created": "Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This dataset consists of a file with results of community analyses from underwater video transects along the benthos at 14 sites between the Joubin Islands in the north and the Terra Firma Islands in the south. ", "east": -63.853133, "geometry": ["POINT(-65.8122515 -66.73201750000001)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Benthic Communities; Biota; Macroalgae; Macroinvertebrates; Oceans; Video Transects", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctica; Antarctica", "north": -64.77195, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Amsler, Charles", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Sea ice as a driver of Antarctic benthic macroalgal community composition and nearshore trophic connectivity", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010104", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Sea ice as a driver of Antarctic benthic macroalgal community composition and nearshore trophic connectivity"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.692085, "title": "Underwater video transect community analysis data", "uid": "601619", "west": -67.77137}, {"awards": "1744550 Amsler, Charles", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-67.77137 -64.77195,-67.3795463 -64.77195,-66.9877226 -64.77195,-66.59589890000001 -64.77195,-66.2040752 -64.77195,-65.8122515 -64.77195,-65.4204278 -64.77195,-65.0286041 -64.77195,-64.6367804 -64.77195,-64.2449567 -64.77195,-63.853133 -64.77195,-63.853133 -65.16396350000001,-63.853133 -65.555977,-63.853133 -65.9479905,-63.853133 -66.34000400000001,-63.853133 -66.73201750000001,-63.853133 -67.124031,-63.853133 -67.5160445,-63.853133 -67.90805800000001,-63.853133 -68.3000715,-63.853133 -68.692085,-64.2449567 -68.692085,-64.6367804 -68.692085,-65.0286041 -68.692085,-65.4204278 -68.692085,-65.8122515 -68.692085,-66.2040752 -68.692085,-66.59589890000001 -68.692085,-66.9877226 -68.692085,-67.3795463 -68.692085,-67.77137 -68.692085,-67.77137 -68.3000715,-67.77137 -67.90805800000001,-67.77137 -67.5160445,-67.77137 -67.124031,-67.77137 -66.73201750000001,-67.77137 -66.34000400000001,-67.77137 -65.9479905,-67.77137 -65.555977,-67.77137 -65.16396350000001,-67.77137 -64.77195))"], "date_created": "Fri, 23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This dataset consists of underwater videos of transects along the benthos at 14 sites between the Joubin Islands in the north and the Terra Firma Islands in the south. These were used for community analyses of the benthic communities. ", "east": -63.853133, "geometry": ["POINT(-65.8122515 -66.73201750000001)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Benthic Communities; Biota; Macroalgae; Macroinvertebrates; Oceans; Video Transects", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctica", "north": -64.77195, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Amsler, Charles", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Sea ice as a driver of Antarctic benthic macroalgal community composition and nearshore trophic connectivity", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010104", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Sea ice as a driver of Antarctic benthic macroalgal community composition and nearshore trophic connectivity"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.692085, "title": "Underwater transect videos used for community analyses", "uid": "601610", "west": -67.77137}, {"awards": "1822289 Vernet, Maria", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-59.402149 -62.131908,-58.9639887 -62.131908,-58.5258284 -62.131908,-58.0876681 -62.131908,-57.6495078 -62.131908,-57.2113475 -62.131908,-56.7731872 -62.131908,-56.3350269 -62.131908,-55.8968666 -62.131908,-55.4587063 -62.131908,-55.020546 -62.131908,-55.020546 -62.384829,-55.020546 -62.63775,-55.020546 -62.890671,-55.020546 -63.143592,-55.020546 -63.396513,-55.020546 -63.649434,-55.020546 -63.902355,-55.020546 -64.155276,-55.020546 -64.408197,-55.020546 -64.661118,-55.4587063 -64.661118,-55.8968666 -64.661118,-56.3350269 -64.661118,-56.7731872 -64.661118,-57.2113475 -64.661118,-57.6495078 -64.661118,-58.0876681 -64.661118,-58.5258284 -64.661118,-58.9639887 -64.661118,-59.402149 -64.661118,-59.402149 -64.408197,-59.402149 -64.155276,-59.402149 -63.902355,-59.402149 -63.649434,-59.402149 -63.396513,-59.402149 -63.143592,-59.402149 -62.890671,-59.402149 -62.63775,-59.402149 -62.384829,-59.402149 -62.131908))"], "date_created": "Mon, 29 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Marine ecosystems under large ice shelves are thought to contain sparse, low-diversity plankton and seafloor communities due the low supply of food from productive sunlight waters. Past studies have shown sub-ice shelf ecosystems to change in response to altered oceanographic processes resulting from ice-shelve retreat. However, information on community changes and ecosystem structure under ice shelves are limited because sub-ice-shelf ecosystems have either been sampled many years after ice-shelf breakout, or have been sampled through small boreholes, yielding extremely limited spatial information. The recent breakout of the A-68 iceberg from the Larsen C ice shelf in the western Weddell Sea provides an opportunity to use a ship-based study to evaluate benthic communities and water column characteristics in an area recently vacated by a large overlying ice shelf. The opportunity will allow spatial assessments at the time of transition from an under ice-shelf environment to one initially exposed to conditions more typical of a coastal Antarctic marine setting. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThis RAPID project will help determine the state of a coastal Antarctic ecosystem newly exposed from ice-shelf cover and will aid in understanding of rates of community change during transition. The project will conduct a 10-day field program, allowing contrasts to be made of phytoplankton and seafloor megafaunal communities in areas recently exposed by ice-shelf loss to areas exposed for many decades. The project will be undertaken in a collaborative manner with the South Korean Antarctic Agency, KOPRI, by participating in a cruise in March/May 2018. Combining new information in the area of Larsen C with existing observations after the Larsen A and B ice shelf breakups further to the north, the project is expected to generate a dataset that can elucidate fundamental processes of planktonic and benthic community development in transition from food-poor to food-rich ecosystems. The project will provide field experience to two graduate students, a post-doctoral associate and an undergraduate student. Material from the project will be incorporated into graduate courses and the project will communicate daily work and unfolding events through social media and blogs while they explore this area of the world that is largely underexplored.", "east": -55.020546, "geometry": ["POINT(-57.2113475 -63.396513)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Chlorophyll; CTD; Glacier; Iceberg; Ice Shelf; Larsen C Ice Shelf; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Phytoplankton; Sample Location; Sea Ice; Southern Ocean; Station List", "locations": "Larsen C Ice Shelf; Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -62.131908, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "persons": "Pan, B. Jack; Vernet, Maria", "project_titles": "RAPID: Collaborative Research: Marine Ecosystem Response to the Larsen C Ice-Shelf Breakout: \"Time zero\"", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010029", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "RAPID: Collaborative Research: Marine Ecosystem Response to the Larsen C Ice-Shelf Breakout: \"Time zero\""}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -64.661118, "title": "CTD stations and logs for Araon 2018 ANA08D expedition to Larson C", "uid": "601178", "west": -59.402149}, {"awards": "1141877 Aronson, Richard", "bounds_geometry": null, "date_created": "Tue, 10 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Elevated temperatures and ocean acidification are both threatening the Southern Ocean. The effects of these environmental changes are poorly understood, but preliminary data suggest that they are driving a biological invasion. Specifically, large populations of skeleton-crushing king crabs, Paralomis birsteini, have been detected off Marguerite Bay on the West Antarctic Peninsula. These crabs appear to be invading the continental shelf region where benthic communities have evolved in the absence of such top-predators. Thus, this invasion could result in a wholesale restructuring of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem. The proposed work seeks to document this invasion and better understand the effects of the introduction of P. birsteini on the ecology of this region. A towed underwater vehicle will be used to photographically image communities, and communities with and without P. birsteini will be compared quantitatively. Additionally, crabs will trapped and various aspects of their morphology and physiology will be assessed. This research is unique in that it will document a biological invasion in real-time and it will therefore enhance our general understandings of the drivers of invasion and resilience in biological communities. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of undergraduate and graduate students and will foster an international collaboration with British scientists. Researchers on this project will participate in outreach thorough the development of K-12 curricular materials.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Benthos; Biota; Camera Tow; LMG1502; Marguerite Bay; NBP1002; NBP1310; Oceans; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Marguerite Bay; Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Aronson, Richard", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000303", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "uid": "600385", "west": null}, {"awards": "1141877 Aronson, Richard", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-111.18 -49.98,-105.429 -49.98,-99.678 -49.98,-93.927 -49.98,-88.176 -49.98,-82.425 -49.98,-76.674 -49.98,-70.923 -49.98,-65.172 -49.98,-59.421 -49.98,-53.67 -49.98,-53.67 -52.826,-53.67 -55.672,-53.67 -58.518,-53.67 -61.364,-53.67 -64.21,-53.67 -67.056,-53.67 -69.902,-53.67 -72.748,-53.67 -75.594,-53.67 -78.44,-59.421 -78.44,-65.172 -78.44,-70.923 -78.44,-76.674 -78.44,-82.425 -78.44,-88.176 -78.44,-93.927 -78.44,-99.678 -78.44,-105.429 -78.44,-111.18 -78.44,-111.18 -75.594,-111.18 -72.748,-111.18 -69.902,-111.18 -67.056,-111.18 -64.21,-111.18 -61.364,-111.18 -58.518,-111.18 -55.672,-111.18 -52.826,-111.18 -49.98))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Elevated temperatures and ocean acidification are both threatening the Southern Ocean. The effects of these environmental changes are poorly understood, but preliminary data suggest that they are driving a biological invasion. Specifically, large populations of skeleton-crushing king crabs, Paralomis birsteini, have been detected off Marguerite Bay on the West Antarctic Peninsula. These crabs appear to be invading the continental shelf region where benthic communities have evolved in the absence of such top-predators. Thus, this invasion could result in a wholesale restructuring of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem. The proposed work seeks to document this invasion and better understand the effects of the introduction of P. birsteini on the ecology of this region. A towed underwater vehicle will be used to photographically image communities, and communities with and without P. birsteini will be compared quantitatively. Additionally, crabs will trapped and various aspects of their morphology and physiology will be assessed. This research is unique in that it will document a biological invasion in real-time and it will therefore enhance our general understandings of the drivers of invasion and resilience in biological communities. Results will be widely disseminated through publications as well as through presentations at national and international meetings. In addition, raw data will be made available through open-access databases. This project will support the research and training of undergraduate and graduate students and will foster an international collaboration with British scientists. Researchers on this project will participate in outreach thorough the development of K-12 curricular materials.", "east": -53.67, "geometry": ["POINT(-82.425 -64.21)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Benthos; Biota; Camera Tow; LMG1502; Marguerite Bay; NBP1002; NBP1310; Oceans; Photo/video; Photo/Video; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Anvers Island; Marguerite Bay; Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -49.98, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Aronson, Richard", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000303", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.44, "title": "Climate Change and Predatory Invasion of the Antarctic Benthos", "uid": "600171", "west": -111.18}, {"awards": "1355533 Dayton, Paul", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((163 -78,163.4 -78,163.8 -78,164.2 -78,164.6 -78,165 -78,165.4 -78,165.8 -78,166.2 -78,166.6 -78,167 -78,167 -78.05,167 -78.1,167 -78.15,167 -78.2,167 -78.25,167 -78.3,167 -78.35,167 -78.4,167 -78.45,167 -78.5,166.6 -78.5,166.2 -78.5,165.8 -78.5,165.4 -78.5,165 -78.5,164.6 -78.5,164.2 -78.5,163.8 -78.5,163.4 -78.5,163 -78.5,163 -78.45,163 -78.4,163 -78.35,163 -78.3,163 -78.25,163 -78.2,163 -78.15,163 -78.1,163 -78.05,163 -78))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Antarctic benthic communities are characterized by many species of sponges (Phylum Porifera), long thought to exhibit extremely slow demographic patterns of settlement, growth and reproduction. This project will analyze many hundreds of diver and remotely operated underwater vehicle photographs documenting a unique, episodic settlement event that occurred between 2000 and 2010 in McMurdo Sound that challenges this paradigm of slow growth. Artificial structures were placed on the seafloor between 1967 and 1974 at several sites, but no sponges were observed to settle on these structures until 2004. By 2010 some 40 species of sponges had settled and grown to be surprisingly large. Given the paradigm of slow settlement and growth supported by the long observation period (37 years, 1967-2004), this extraordinary large-scale settlement and rapid growth over just a 6-year time span is astonishing. This project utilizes image processing software (ImageJ) to obtain metrics (linear dimensions to estimate size, frequency, percent cover) for sponges and other fauna visible in the photographs. It uses R to conduct multidimensional scaling to ordinate community data and ANOSIM to test for differences of community data among sites and times and structures. It will also use SIMPER and ranked species abundances to discriminate species responsible for any differences.\nThis work focuses on Antarctic sponges, but the observations of massive episodic recruitment and growth are important to understanding seafloor communities worldwide. Ecosystems are composed of populations, and populations are ecologically described by their distribution and abundance. A little appreciated fact is that sponges often dominate marine communities, but because sponges are so hard to study, most workers focus on other groups such as corals, kelps, or bivalves. Because most sponges settle and grow slowly their life history is virtually unstudied. The assumption of relative stasis of the Antarctic seafloor community is common, and this project will shatter this paradigm by documenting a dramatic episodic event. Finally, the project takes advantage of old transects from the 1960s and 1970s and compares them with extensive 2010 surveys of the same habitats and sometimes the same intact transect lines, offering a long-term perspective of community change. The investigators will publish these results in peer-reviewed journals, give presentations to the general public and will involve students from local outreach programs, high schools, and undergraduates at UCSD to help with the analysis.", "east": 167.0, "geometry": ["POINT(165 -78.25)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Bentic Fauna; Biota; Mcmurdo Sound; Oceans; Ross Sea; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Mcmurdo Sound; Ross Sea; Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -78.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Dayton, Paul", "project_titles": "EAGER: A Multi-decadal Record of Antarctic Benthos: Image Analysis to Maximize Data Utilization", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000401", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "EAGER: A Multi-decadal Record of Antarctic Benthos: Image Analysis to Maximize Data Utilization"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.5, "title": "A Multi-decadal Record of Antarctic Benthos: Image Analysis to Maximize Data Utilization", "uid": "600164", "west": 163.0}, {"awards": "1041022 McClintock, James", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-79 -60,-76.4 -60,-73.8 -60,-71.2 -60,-68.6 -60,-66 -60,-63.4 -60,-60.8 -60,-58.2 -60,-55.6 -60,-53 -60,-53 -61,-53 -62,-53 -63,-53 -64,-53 -65,-53 -66,-53 -67,-53 -68,-53 -69,-53 -70,-55.6 -70,-58.2 -70,-60.8 -70,-63.4 -70,-66 -70,-68.6 -70,-71.2 -70,-73.8 -70,-76.4 -70,-79 -70,-79 -69,-79 -68,-79 -67,-79 -66,-79 -65,-79 -64,-79 -63,-79 -62,-79 -61,-79 -60))"], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The research will investigate the individual and combined effects of rising ocean acidification and sea surface temperatures on shallow-water calcified benthic organisms in western Antarctic Peninsular (WAP) marine communities. The Southern Ocean is predicted to become undersaturated in terms of both aragonite and calcite within 50 and 100 years, respectively, challenging calcification processes. Adding to the problem, antarctic calcified benthic marine organisms are more vulnerable to ocean acidification than temperate and tropical species because they are generally weakly calcified. Many antarctic organisms are essentially stenothermal, and those in the West Antarctic Peninsula are being subjected to rising seawater temperatures. The project employs both single-species and multi-species level approaches to evaluating the impacts of rising ocean acidification and seawater temperature on representative calcified and non-calcified macroalgae, on calcified and non-calcified mesograzers, and on a calcified macro-grazer, all of which are important ecological players in the rich benthic communities. Multi-species analysis will focus on the diverse assemblage of amphipods and mesogastropods that are associated with dominant macroalgae that collectively play a key role in community dynamics along the WAP. The project will support undergraduate research, both through NSF programs, as well as home university-based programs, some designed to enhance the representation of minorities in the sciences. The principal investigators also will support and foster graduate education through mentoring of graduate students. Through their highly successful UAB IN ANTARCTICA interactive web program, they will continue to involve large numbers of teachers, K-12 students, and other members of the community at large in their scientific endeavors in Antarctica.", "east": -53.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-66 -65)"], "keywords": "Antarctic Peninsula; Biota; Oceans; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Southern Ocean", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "McClintock, James; Amsler, Charles; Angus, Robert", "project_titles": "The effects of ocean acidification and rising sea surface temperatures on shallow-water benthic organisms in Antarctica", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000426", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "The effects of ocean acidification and rising sea surface temperatures on shallow-water benthic organisms in Antarctica"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -70.0, "title": "The effects of ocean acidification and rising sea surface temperatures on shallow-water benthic organisms in Antarctica", "uid": "600122", "west": -79.0}, {"awards": "0732983 Vernet, Maria", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-66 -62,-65.3 -62,-64.6 -62,-63.9 -62,-63.2 -62,-62.5 -62,-61.8 -62,-61.1 -62,-60.4 -62,-59.7 -62,-59 -62,-59 -62.8,-59 -63.6,-59 -64.4,-59 -65.2,-59 -66,-59 -66.8,-59 -67.6,-59 -68.4,-59 -69.2,-59 -70,-59.7 -70,-60.4 -70,-61.1 -70,-61.8 -70,-62.5 -70,-63.2 -70,-63.9 -70,-64.6 -70,-65.3 -70,-66 -70,-66 -69.2,-66 -68.4,-66 -67.6,-66 -66.8,-66 -66,-66 -65.2,-66 -64.4,-66 -63.6,-66 -62.8,-66 -62))"], "date_created": "Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Collaborative Research in IPY: Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, a Multidisciplinary Approach - Marine Ecosystems. A profound transformation in ecosystem structure and function is occurring in coastal waters of the western Weddell Sea, with the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf. This transformation appears to be yielding a redistribution of energy flow between chemoautotrophic and photosynthetic production, and to be causing the rapid demise of the extraordinary seep ecosystem discovered beneath the ice shelf. This event provides an ideal opportunity to examine fundamental aspects of ecosystem transition associated with climate change. We propose to test the following hypotheses to elucidate the transformations occurring in marine ecosystems as a consequence of the Larsen B collapse: (1) The biogeographic isolation and sub-ice shelf setting of the Larsen B seep has led to novel habitat characteristics, chemoautotrophically dependent taxa and functional adaptations. (2) Benthic communities beneath the former Larsen B ice shelf are fundamentally different from assemblages at similar depths in the Weddell sea-ice zone, and resemble oligotrophic deep-sea communities. Larsen B assemblages are undergoing rapid change. (3) The previously dark, oligotrophic waters of the Larsen B embayment now support a thriving phototrophic community, with production rates and phytoplankton composition similar to other productive areas of the Weddell Sea. To document rapid changes occurring in the Larsen B ecosystem, we will use a remotely operated vehicle, shipboard samplers, and moored sediment traps. We will characterize microbial, macrofaunal and megafaunal components of the seep community; evaluate patterns of surface productivity, export flux, and benthic faunal composition in areas previously covered by the ice shelf, and compare these areas to the open sea-ice zone. These changes will be placed within the geological, glaciological and climatological context that led to ice-shelf retreat, through companion research projects funded in concert with this effort. Together these projects will help predict the likely consequences of ice-shelf collapse to marine ecosystems in other regions of Antarctica vulnerable to climate change. The research features international collaborators from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. The broader impacts include participation of a science writer; broadcast of science segments by members of the Jim Lehrer News Hour (Public Broadcasting System); material for summer courses in environmental change; mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows; and showcasing scientific activities and findings to students and public through podcasts.\n", "east": -59.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-62.5 -66)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Antarctic Peninsula; Araon1304; Biota; LARISSA; Larsen B Ice Shelf; NBP1001; NBP1203; Oceans; Physical Oceanography; Southern Ocean; Weddell Sea", "locations": "Antarctic Peninsula; Weddell Sea; Larsen B Ice Shelf; Southern Ocean; Antarctica", "north": -62.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Vernet, Maria", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research in IPY: Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, a Multidisciplinary Approach -- Cryosphere and Oceans", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000101", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research in IPY: Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System, a Multidisciplinary Approach -- Cryosphere and Oceans"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "LARISSA", "south": -70.0, "title": "Abrupt Environmental Change in the Larsen Ice Shelf System (LARISSA) - Marine Ecosystems", "uid": "600073", "west": -66.0}, {"awards": "0338087 Scheltema, Rudolf", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-70 -53,-68.4 -53,-66.8 -53,-65.2 -53,-63.6 -53,-62 -53,-60.4 -53,-58.8 -53,-57.2 -53,-55.6 -53,-54 -53,-54 -54.5,-54 -56,-54 -57.5,-54 -59,-54 -60.5,-54 -62,-54 -63.5,-54 -65,-54 -66.5,-54 -68,-55.6 -68,-57.2 -68,-58.8 -68,-60.4 -68,-62 -68,-63.6 -68,-65.2 -68,-66.8 -68,-68.4 -68,-70 -68,-70 -66.5,-70 -65,-70 -63.5,-70 -62,-70 -60.5,-70 -59,-70 -57.5,-70 -56,-70 -54.5,-70 -53))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Because of extreme isolation of the Antarctic continent since the Early Oligocene, one expects a unique invertebrate benthic fauna with a high degree of endemism. Yet some invertebrate taxa that constitute important ecological components of sedimentary benthic communities include more than 40 percent non-endemic species (e.g., benthic polychaetes). To account for non-endemic species, intermittent genetic exchange must occur between Antarctic and other (e.g. South American) populations. The most likely mechanism for such gene flow, at least for in-faunal and mobile macrobenthos, is dispersal of planktonic larvae across the sub- Antarctic and Antarctic polar fronts. To test for larval dispersal as a mechanism of maintaining genetic continuity across polar fronts, the scientists propose to (1) take plankton samples along transects across Drake passage during both the austral summer and winter seasons while concurrently collecting the appropriate hydrographic data. Such data will help elucidate the hydrographic mechanisms that allow dispersal across Drake Passage. Using a molecular phylogenetic approach, they will (2) compare seemingly identical adult forms from Antarctic and South America continents to identify genetic breaks, historical gene flow, and control for the presence of cryptic species. (3) Similar molecular tools will be used to relate planktonic larvae to their adult forms. Through this procedure, they propose to link the larval forms respectively to their Antarctic or South America origins. The proposed work builds on previous research that provides the basis for this effort to develop a synthetic understanding of historical gene flow and present day dispersal mechanism in South American/Drake Passage/Antarctic Peninsular region. Furthermore, this work represents one of the first attempts to examine recent gene flow in Antarctic benthic invertebrates. Graduate students and a postdoctoral fellow will be trained during this research.", "east": -54.0, "geometry": ["POINT(-62 -60.5)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Oceans; R/v Laurence M. Gould; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Antarctica; Southern Ocean", "north": -53.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Scheltema, Rudolf", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Relevance of Planktonic Larval Dispersal to Endemism and Biogeography of Antarctic Benthic Invertebrates", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000189", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Relevance of Planktonic Larval Dispersal to Endemism and Biogeography of Antarctic Benthic Invertebrates"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -68.0, "title": "Relevance of Planktonic Larval Dispersal to Endemism and Biogeography of Antarctic Benthic Invertebrates", "uid": "600035", "west": -70.0}, {"awards": "0439906 Koch, Paul", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((162 -72,162.6 -72,163.2 -72,163.8 -72,164.4 -72,165 -72,165.6 -72,166.2 -72,166.8 -72,167.4 -72,168 -72,168 -72.6,168 -73.2,168 -73.8,168 -74.4,168 -75,168 -75.6,168 -76.2,168 -76.8,168 -77.4,168 -78,167.4 -78,166.8 -78,166.2 -78,165.6 -78,165 -78,164.4 -78,163.8 -78,163.2 -78,162.6 -78,162 -78,162 -77.4,162 -76.8,162 -76.2,162 -75.6,162 -75,162 -74.4,162 -73.8,162 -73.2,162 -72.6,162 -72))"], "date_created": "Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "During previous NSF-sponsored research, the PI\u0027s discovered that southern elephant seal colonies once existed along the Victoria Land coast (VLC) of Antarctica, a region where they are no longer observed. Molted seal skin and hair occur along 300 km of coastline, more than 1000 km from any extant colony. The last record of a seal at a former colony site is at ~A.D. 1600. Because abandonment occurred prior to subantarctic sealing, disappearance of the VLC colony probably was due to environmental factors, possibly cooling and encroachment of land-fast, perennial sea ice that made access to haul-out sites difficult. The record of seal inhabitation along the VLC, therefore, has potential as a proxy for climate change. Elephant seals are a predominantly subantarctic species with circumpolar distribution. Genetic studies have revealed significant differentiation among populations, particularly with regard to that at Macquarie I., which is the extant population nearest to the abandoned VLC colony. Not only is the Macquarie population unique genetically, but it is has undergone unexplained decline of 2%/yr over the last 50 years3. In a pilot study, genetic analyses showed a close relationship between the VLC seals and those at Macquarie I. An understanding of the relationship between the two populations, as well as of the environmental pressures that led to the demise of the VLC colonies, will provide a better understanding of present-day population genetic structure, the effect of environmental change on seal populations, and possibly the reasons underlying the modern decline at Macquarie Island. This project addresses several key research problems: (1) Why did elephant seals colonize and then abandon the VLC? (2) What does the elephant seal record reveal about Holocene climate change and sea-ice conditions? (3) What were the foraging strategies of the seals and did these strategies change over time as climate varied? (4) How does the genetic structure of the VLC seals relate to extant populations? (5) How did genetic diversity change over time and with colony decline? (6) Using ancient samples to estimate mtDNA mutation rates, what can be learned about VLC population dynamics over time? (7) What was the ecological relationship between elephant seals and Adelie penguins that occupied the same sites, but apparently at different times? The proposed work includes the professional training of young researchers and incorporation of data into graduate and undergraduate courses.\n\nBecause of extreme isolation of the Antarctic continent since the \nEarly Oligocene, one expects a unique invertebrate benthic fauna with \na high degree of endemism. Yet some invertebrate taxa that constitute \nimportant ecological components of sedimentary benthic communities \ninclude more than 40 percent non-endemic species (e.g., benthic \npolychaetes). To account for non-endemic species, intermittent genetic \nexchange must occur between Antarctic and other (e.g. South American) \npopulations. The most likely mechanism for such gene flow, at least \nfor in-faunal and mobile macrobenthos, is dispersal of planktonic \nlarvae across the sub- Antarctic and Antarctic polar fronts. To test \nfor larval dispersal as a mechanism of maintaining genetic continuity \nacross polar fronts, the scientists propose to (1) take plankton \nsamples along transects across Drake passage during both the austral \nsummer and winter seasons while concurrently collecting the \nappropriate hydrographic data. Such data will help elucidate the \nhydrographic mechanisms that allow dispersal across Drake Passage. \nUsing a molecular phylogenetic approach, they will (2) compare \nseemingly identical adult forms from Antarctic and South America \ncontinents to identify genetic breaks, historical gene flow, and \ncontrol for the presence of cryptic species. (3) Similar molecular \ntools will be used to relate planktonic larvae to their adult forms. \nThrough this procedure, they propose to link the larval forms \nrespectively to their Antarctic or South America origins. The proposed \nwork builds on previous research that provides the basis for this \neffort to develop a synthetic understanding of historical gene flow \nand present day dispersal mechanism in South American/Drake Passage/ \nAntarctic Peninsular region. Furthermore, this work represents one of \nthe first attempts to examine recent gene flow in Antarctic benthic \ninvertebrates. Graduate students and a postdoctoral fellow will be \ntrained during this research\n", "east": 168.0, "geometry": ["POINT(165 -75)"], "keywords": "Biota; Isotope; Penguin; Ross Sea; Seals; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Ross Sea; Southern Ocean", "north": -72.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Koch, Paul", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Abandoned Elephant Seal Colonies in Antarctica: Integration of Genetic, Isotopic, and Geologic Approaches toward Understanding Holocene Environmental Change", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000533", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Abandoned Elephant Seal Colonies in Antarctica: Integration of Genetic, Isotopic, and Geologic Approaches toward Understanding Holocene Environmental Change"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -78.0, "title": "Abandoned Elephant Seal Colonies in Antarctica: Integration of Genetic, Isotopic, and Geologic Approaches toward Understanding Holocene Environmental Change", "uid": "600041", "west": 162.0}, {"awards": "0739496 Miller, Molly", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((163.41667 -77.33333,163.46667 -77.33333,163.51667 -77.33333,163.56667 -77.33333,163.61667 -77.33333,163.66667 -77.33333,163.71667 -77.33333,163.76667 -77.33333,163.81667 -77.33333,163.86667 -77.33333,163.91667 -77.33333,163.91667 -77.369997,163.91667 -77.406664,163.91667 -77.443331,163.91667 -77.479998,163.91667 -77.516665,163.91667 -77.553332,163.91667 -77.589999,163.91667 -77.626666,163.91667 -77.663333,163.91667 -77.7,163.86667 -77.7,163.81667 -77.7,163.76667 -77.7,163.71667 -77.7,163.66667 -77.7,163.61667 -77.7,163.56667 -77.7,163.51667 -77.7,163.46667 -77.7,163.41667 -77.7,163.41667 -77.663333,163.41667 -77.626666,163.41667 -77.589999,163.41667 -77.553332,163.41667 -77.516665,163.41667 -77.479998,163.41667 -77.443331,163.41667 -77.406664,163.41667 -77.369997,163.41667 -77.33333))"], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project answers a simple question: why are there so few fossils in sediment cores from Antarctica\u0027s continental shelf? Antarctica\u0027s benthos are as biologically rich as those of the tropics. Shell-secreting organisms should have left a trail throughout geologic time, but have not. This trail is particularly important because these organisms record regional climate in ways that are critical to interpreting the global climate record. This study uses field experiments and targeted observations of modern benthic systems to examine the biases inflicted by fossil preservation. By examining a spectrum of ice-affected habitats, this project provides paleoenvironmental insights into carbonate preservation, sedimentation rates, and burial processes; and will provide new approaches to reconstructing the Cenozoic history of Antarctica. Broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate research and education, development of undergraduate curricula to link art and science, K12 outreach, public outreach via the web, and societal relevance through improved understanding of records of global climate change.", "east": 163.91667, "geometry": ["POINT(163.66667 -77.516665)"], "keywords": "Biota; Geochronology; Marine Sediments; Oceans; Southern Ocean", "locations": "Southern Ocean", "north": -77.33333, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Furbish, David; Miller, Molly", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0000203", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.7, "title": "Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores", "uid": "600076", "west": 163.41667}, {"awards": "0739512 Walker, Sally", "bounds_geometry": ["POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))"], "date_created": "Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This project answers a simple question: why are there so few fossils in sediment cores from Antarctica\u0027s continental shelf? Antarctica\u0027s benthos are as biologically rich as those of the tropics. Shell-secreting organisms should have left a trail throughout geologic time, but have not. This trail is particularly important because these organisms record regional climate in ways that are critical to interpreting the global climate record. This study uses field experiments and targeted observations of modern benthic systems to examine the biases inflicted by fossil preservation. By examining a spectrum of ice-affected habitats, this project provides paleoenvironmental insights into carbonate preservation, sedimentation rates, and burial processes; and will provide new approaches to reconstructing the Cenozoic history of Antarctica. Broader impacts include graduate and undergraduate research and education, development of undergraduate curricula to link art and science, K12 outreach, public outreach via the web, and societal relevance through improved understanding of records of global climate change.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": ["POINT(0 -89.999)"], "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Mcmurdo Sound; Oceans; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description", "locations": "Mcmurdo Sound; Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": null, "persons": "Walker, Sally", "project_titles": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores; Collaborative research: The Antarctic Scallop as Key to Paleoenvironments and Sea Ice Conditions: Understanding the Modern to Predict the Past", "projects": [{"proj_uid": "p0010238", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative research: The Antarctic Scallop as Key to Paleoenvironments and Sea Ice Conditions: Understanding the Modern to Predict the Past"}, {"proj_uid": "p0000203", "repository": "USAP-DC", "title": "Collaborative Research: Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores"}], "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Linking Modern Benthic Communities and Taphonomic Processes to the Stratigraphic Record of Antarctic Cores", "uid": "600077", "west": -180.0}]

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