Plankton sampling
Here I would like to showyou how we sample plankton and measure the hydrographic conditions in Potter Cove, King George Island, Western Antarctic Peninsula.
Generally once a week during summer, we carry out samplings at two stations: one is located close the Glacier’s melting front in the zone of the inner cove. The other station is situated at the mouth of the cove where it opens into Maxwell Bay. At each station we measure salinity, density and conductivity with an Seabird 19+ CTD, sample seawater with a Niskin bottle and do net tows (20, 80 and 200 micron mesh) in two different water depths. During these samplings, Oscar and Maxi are helping me with the work on board the zodiac.
 Monica with Plankton net |
 CTD in the water |
 On board |
Back to the Dallmann laboratories at Jubany Base, we analyze Chlorophyll a content (as the main pigment of phytoplankton) and the composition and density of phyto- and zooplankton assemblages by microscopy.
Ma. Sofía Dutto, Carlo J. Chazarreta and Ariel Giamportone have been successfully doing this sampling programme during part of December 2010 and January 2011. Sofía and Carlo are PhD students at Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Argentina, and Ariel is a student helper of Universidad Tecnológica Nacional of Argentina. I already want to thank them for the great work with which they helped my colleague Marcelo Hernando and me to carry out the project.