The dense phytoplankton blooms observed in earlier studies in the Southern Ocean Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) may not be representative of all regions, so that some previous assessments of the overall importance of this system in total primary production may have been overestimated. Recent observations have shown that increased phytoplankton production may not always be associated with the retreating ice-edge, due to the unpredictability of meltwater-induced stability. Complex interactions between the MIZ and hydrographic fronts have also been indicated. A range of simple simulations, based on biomass inventories for the major biogeochemical systems in the Southern Ocean, show that the greater part of chlorophyll biomass is located in the extensive regions between the major fronts. Consideration of the fronts and the MIZ only, which we surmize may be the principal sites of export production, indicates that the MIZ is clearly the most important single feature. Even if the occurrence of MIZ blooms in the simulations is reduced dramatically, such blooms still appear to make a substantial contribution to production and, by implication, carbon export.

The Antarctic digital topographic database is the outcome of a truly international collaborative project between 11 nations. Data capture was co-ordinated in the UK, under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), during a two-year period. Over 200 maps, at scales ranging from 1:200 000 to 1:5 000 000, were digitized for the project and reference was made to a similar number of satellite images (mostly Landsat photographic products). Editing and harmonization of the data derived from the different sources has produced a seamless map of Antarctica which has the most up-to-date coastline now available. The topographic database created, to be published on one CD-ROM, will form the foundation for future GIS needs in Antarctic research. Products already derived from the database include digital elevation models and customized maps; the latter can be reproduced by research groups to meet their own mapping needs.

Glacial geological studies on the Windmill Islands and along the Budd Coast at the margin of the Law Dome, East Antarctica, indicate that the glacial extent of Law Dome has fluctuated during the Holocene. The morphology and structural geology of the present ice margin and Løken Moraines indicate that Law Dome has readvanced over part of the Windmill Islands since the culmination of the post-glacial retreat. Sedimentological and geochemical analyses show that Løken Moraines comprise reworked proglacial and coastal marine sediments and ice, which supports the morphological and structural evidence for a readvance. A chronology for the readvance is produced from relative lichenometry of Løken Moraines and coastal nunataks in conjunction with 14C radiocarbon dates from the proglacial and coastal zones. The combined glaciological and geological evidence suggests that the readvance occurred after c. 4000 yr BP in response to a positive mass balance on Law Dome during the Holocene.

Measurements of dissolved N2, O2, Ar, CO2, and CH4 were made in perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare. Results confirm previous reports that O2 concentrations in the upper water column exceed atmospheric equilibrium and that N2 and Ar are supersaturated throughout the water column. The mean supersaturation of N2 was found to be 2.0 (±0.37) and Ar was 3.8 (±1.1). The ratios of N2/Ar (20.3 ±3.8), and O2/Ar (22.5 ±4.0) at the ice-water interface are consistent with those previously measured, suggesting that bubble formation is the main process for removing gas from the lake. However, the saturations of N2 and Ar greatly exceed those previously predicted for degassing by bubble formation only at the ice-water interface. The data support the hypothesis that removal of gas by bubbles occurs in the water column to a depth of 11 m in Lake Hoare. CO2 concentration increases from near zero at the ice-water interface to 80–100 times saturation at and below the chemocline at c. 28 m. There is considerable variability in the gas concentrations throughout the water column; samples separated in depth by one metre may vary by more than 50% in gas content. It is likely that this phenomenon results from the lack of turbulent mixing in the water column. Methane (c. 2 μg 1−1) was detected below the chemocline and immediately above the sediment/water interface at a depth of 30 m. Samples from lakes Vanda, Joyce, and Miers, also show supersaturations of O2, N2, and Ar at levels similar to levels found in Lake Hoare.

The Sørsdal Formation and one member, Graveyard Sandstone Member constitute a sedimentary sequence covering approximately 10 km2 of Marine Plain, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. The new Formation consists dominantly of friable diatomaceous siltstone and sandstone with dark limestone lenses. It is in situ, essentially horizontal, 7.2 m thick in its type section and lies less than 25 m a.s.l. Graveyard Sandstone Member occurs near the top of the formation, is highly lithified sandy diamictite, 30–50 cm thick and widespread through the Marine Plain region. Using diatoms, the Formation is Early Pliocene in age (Fragilariopsis barronii, 4.5–4.1Ma). The Graveyard Sandstone Member probably was deposited during the Gilbert Chron interval (lower Chron 2Ar or C3n. 1r) of reversed magnetic polarity. The Sørsdal Formation contains fossil cetaceans and a diverse and well-preserved invertebrate fauna. Foraminifera are rare partly because of diagenesis, but include Ammoelphidiella antarctica. No evidence of coeval terrestrial vegetation has been recovered. The deposit accumulated in a series of small bays probably in an environment warmer than exists in the region today. There is no lithological evidence of glacial influence except in Graveyard Sandstone Member that may represent local glacial influence in a shallow marine to intertidal environment.

The Ross seal (Ommatophoca rossii) is the least studied of the Antarctic ice-breeding phocids. In particular, estimating the population status of the Ross seal has proved extremely difficult. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty currently designates the Ross seal as a ‘Specially Protected Species’, contrasting with the IUCN's classification of ‘Least Concern’. As part of a review of the Ross seal's classification under the Protocol, a survey was undertaken in 1999/2000 to estimate the status of the Ross seal population in the pack ice off East Antarctica between 64–150°E. Shipboard and aerial sighting surveys were carried out along 9476 km of transect to estimate the density of Ross seals hauled out on the ice, and satellite dive recorders deployed on a sample of Ross seals to estimate the proportion of time spent on the ice. The survey design and analysis addressed the many sources of uncertainty in estimating the abundance of this species in an effort to provide a range of best and plausible estimates. Best estimates of abundance in the survey region ranged from 41 300–55 900 seals. Limits on plausible estimates ranged from 20 500 (lower 2.5 percentile) to 226 600 (upper 97.5 percentile).

Krill are thought to be predominantly herbivorous, but a heterotrophic diet might be crucial for their growth and survival. To compare the influence of herbivory and carnivory on krill we conducted a nine month feeding trial. We examined lipid composition of the hepatopancreas, abdomen and remaining body portions of krill fed diatoms at bloom condition levels, and diatoms with the addition of pellets or minced clam meat to simulate a partly carnivorous diet. Mortality, dry mass and lipid content were similar among treatments. We examined lipid class and fatty acid profiles, with emphasis placed on the ratio of storage (triacylglycerol) to structural (polar lipid) lipid and key essential omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3. The triacylglycerol : polar lipid ratio increased in krill fed on the mixed diet as did the 20:5ω3 : 22:6ω3 ratio. Overall these findings indicate that provision of clam in the diet improved krill condition, and further suggest that carnivory may aid krill growth in the wild under certain environmental conditions.

The presence and distribution of alien plant species on subantarctic Marion and Prince Edward Islands is reviewed and updated. This study documents the finding of a well established population of Cerastium fontanum on Prince Edward Island. An additional taxa, Senecio sp., is recorded in association with a recurrence of Plantago lanceolata on Marion Island. Propagules of both these taxa have recently been dispersed to the island in building material imported from South Africa. The distribution of Agrostis stolonifera and Sagina apetala on Marion Island has increased markedly between 1981 and 1989.

N2-fixation is an important mechanism in microbial mats of the McMurdo Ice Shelf as nitrogen sources are limited. Here we applied molecular analyses of the N2-fixing diversity in cyanobacterial dominated microbial mats in a meltwater pond, known as Orange Pond, on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. Phylogenetic analyses of nifH genes and nifH gene transcripts were performed in association with acetylene reduction assay measurements. Eighteen phylotypes with the highest similarities to cyanobacteria, firmicutes, beta-, gamma- and deltaproteobacteria, spirochaetes and verrumicrobia were identified. All cyanobacterial nifH phylotypes grouped solely in the genus Nostoc spp. Clone-library analysis of nifH gene transcripts only identified sequences with a highest match to Nostoc spp. and acetylene reduction activity was identified in the presence of light and absence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea. These molecular results indicate that a variety of bacterial phyla possess the ability to fix nitrogen. However, under the tested conditions the only organisms actively transcribing nifH genes were Nostoc spp. This underlines the importance of Nostoc for the nitrogen budget on the McMurdo Ice Shelf.

Epishelf lakes, positioned between ice-free areas and floating ice shelves or glaciers, are unusual tidal, but largely freshwater, environments found in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The greatest concentration of these lakes is in the Bunger Hills, East Antarctica (66°S, 100°E). We present and discuss temperature and salinity profiles for five epishelf lakes from this region, most of which show unusual properties. White Smoke Lake is fresh and cold (<0.1°C) throughout; Lake Pol’anskogo has two basins, one fresh and cold, the other saline and warm; ‘Southern’ Lake is cold and saline at depth; Transkriptsii Gulf has a deep, warm saline layer; and ‘Northern’ Lake is relatively warm throughout. The structures of these lakes can be explained in terms of a simple model in which the isolated saline water evident in three of the lakes entered the basins through the connection to the marine waters during periods of reduced freshwater input. By dating these marine incursions, periods of reduced melt, presumably due to colder temperatures, can be determined.

The diurnal vertical distribution and abundance of fish larvae was studied by net samples in the 265 m deep fjord of Cumberland East Bay, South Georgia. In early spring the six most abundant species of fish larvae in the upper 200 m of the water column were Champsocephalus gunnari, Lepidonotothen nudifrons, Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, Chaenocephalus aceratus, Parachaenichthys' georgianus and Electrona antarctica. In summer, the larvae of C. gunnari, Gobionotothen gibberifrons, Lepidonotothen larseni and Trematomus hansoni were most abundant, and the majority were found in the upper 140 m of the water column, with greatest densities in the top 2m. During both seasons most species showed some evidence of diurnal vertical migration. A distinct pattern was found for C. gunnari in summer; they were at 0–20 m during the day and 60–100 m at midnight. Net avoidance by the larvae of most species was greater before sunset in early spring, and during all periods of daylight in summer, than at other times of day.

Composition, abundance, and distribution of suprabenthos from a depth between 1 and 1.33 m above the seafloor were analysed. The samples were taken during ANT XV/3 with RV Polarstern in February and March 1998 by means of the supranet of an epibenthic sledge along two transects in the southern Weddell Sea (Vestkapp and Halley Bay) and one east of King George Island. At each of these three transects, five to six stations were taken in water depth between 200 and 2000 m. In total, 34 057 specimens were sampled at 16 stations, yielding 1 205 050 individuals for all stations standardized to 1000 m3 hauls. Of these, copepods were usually the most abundant group in the supranet (805 822 ind 1000 m−3. The suprabenthic fauna of the southwest of Vestkapp (Weddell Sea) transect was dominated by planktonic taxa in terms of individual numbers especially at the deeper stations (938–1983 m). At Halley Bay the total abundance of plankton was lower but its relative abundance (> 80%) was also high, whilst off King George Island peracarid crustaceans were an important fraction.

We assess the ice flow of Institute Ice Stream (IIS; 81.5°S, 75°W) and the adjacent Ronne Ice Shelf using satellite images and geophysical parameters from recent continent-wide compilations. Landsat image pairs from the 1980s and 1990s are used to determine ice velocity. Peak speed is 398 ± 10 m a−1. Several mappings using images spanning an eleven-year period indicate this speed and the pattern of ice flow throughout the mapped portion of the stream is constant to within ± 20 m a−1. Combining catchment extent (141 700 km2) with surface accumulation, mass input to IIS is 25.1 ± 2 Gt a−1. Mean ice thickness across the grounding line is 1177 m. Mass flux to the Ronne Ice Shelf, determined from these values and our velocity profile, is 22.7 ± 2 Gt a−1. Topographic mapping using photoclinometry, coupled with ice thickness and ice velocity, permits an assessment of driving force versus flow speed. This indicates wide variations in basal resistance. Despite evidence of present-day near-balance and constant speed in the ice stream trunk, a recent change in outflow is implied by folding of shelf streaklines near Korff Ice Rise. This may be a result of changing shelf thickness or erosion of Doake Ice Rumples.

Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua is an important component of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. In this paper, we use an indirect approach, a geochemical method combining with 137Cs and 210Pb CRS mode dating, to study the dynamics of the gentoo population and colony on Barton Peninsula, King George Island, in the maritime Antarctic. Five sediment profiles were sampled in the zone between the gentoo penguin colony and tundra vegetation on this peninsula and the sediment sequence and typical elements from penguin guano were analysed. Results showed that the levels for typical elements display a dramatic change at around 5 cm depth, indicating the strong impact of penguin guano. The sediments below 5 cm showed lower concentrations in these elements, suggesting that these sediments had received little impact from penguin guano. By Q-mode factor analysis, a method for decomposing multiple factors, we found that over the past sixty years the gentoo colony showed a rapid enlargement and the tundra vegetation had been destroyed. Possible factors responsible for the enlargement of the penguin colony are tentatively discussed.

The Jurassic plant fossil record of Gondwana is generally meagre, which renders phytogeographic and palaeoclimatic interpretations difficult to date. Moreover, plant fossil assemblages mainly consist of impressions/compressions with rather limited palaeobiological and palaeoecological significance. We here present a detailed survey of new Early Jurassic plant assemblages from the Pliensbachian Shafer Peak Formation, north Victoria Land, Transantarctic Mountains. Some of the well-preserved fossils yield cuticle. The floras consist of isoetalean lycophytes, sphenophytes, several ferns, bennettitaleans, and conifers. In addition, three distinct kinds of conifer shoots and needles were obtained from bulk macerations. The composition of the plant communities is typical for Jurassic macrofloras of Gondwana, which underscores the general homogeneity of Southern Hemisphere vegetation during the mid-Mesozoic. Altogether, the plant fossil assemblages indicate humid and warm temperate conditions, which is in contrast to recent palaeoclimatic models that predict cool temperate climates for the continental interior of southern Gondwana during the Jurassic. However, there is no evidence for notable soil development or peat accumulation. The environmental conditions were apparently very unstable due to intense volcanic activity that resulted in frequent perturbation of landscape and vegetation, hampering the development of long-lived climax communities. Cuticles of bennettitaleans and conifers show xeromorphic features that may have been beneficial for growth in this volcanic environment.

Barotropic and baroclinic tides were simulated for the Weddell Sea using ROMS. The model estimates for both tidal elevations and velocities showed good agreement with existing observations. The rms differences were 9 cm for elevations and 1.2–1.7 cm s−1 for the major axes of the tidal ellipses for the semidiurnal constituents and 6–8 cm and 4.5 cm s−1 for the diurnal constituents, respectively. Most of the discrepancies occurred deep under the ice shelf for the semidiurnal tides and along the continental slope for the diurnal tides. Along the continental slope, the model overestimated the generation of diurnal continental shelf waves. The diurnal tides were barotropic throughout the basin. However, internal tides were generated at semidiurnal frequencies over rough topography. Over the continental slope, semidiurnal baroclinic tidal generation was enhanced by the existence of continental shelf waves, through their harmonics. Baroclinic tides generated over rough topography in the northern Weddell Sea incited inertial oscillations as they propagated south. These inertial oscillations varied with depth since they were incited at different depths at different times as the internal tide progressed. Both the baroclinic tides and inertial oscillations induced vertical shear in the water column and increased the divergence of the horizontal surface velocities.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons were measured in seven species of Antarctic fish (Pagothenia bernacchii, P. hansoni, Trematomus centronotus, T. newnesi, Chionodraco hamatus, Cygnodraco mawsoni, and Gymnodraco acuticeps) from in the Ross Sea near Terra Nova Bay (74°40'S 164°10'E). Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pp' DDT and its derivatives DDE and DDD, and about 20 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)were found in muscle and liver. Levels of pp′ DDE were positively correlated with body length in P. bernacchii and the plot of concentrations showed higher values in males than females of the same body weight class. The results confirm the presence of these chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Antarctic marine food chain and an increase of PCBs with respect to DDTs. The “fingerprint” of C. hamatus is different from that of other Antarctic organisms and of fish from other parts of the world, suggesting possible metabolic differences.

During the summer Lake Anónima experiences important changes in salinity and lake level fluctuations. Physicochemical data and field observations indicate that evaporative processes are dominant and that the water inflow is mainly provided by snow meltwater and streams. A multiproxy analysis of data from lake bottom sediments suggests that the main surface stream located south-west of the lake controls the clastic input and the spatial variation of sediment composition. Through an integrated analysis (magnetic, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies) magnetite and greigite minerals were identified in these lake sediments. Such ferrimagnetic minerals have ultra-fine grain sizes (<0.1 μm). Magnetic parameters and non-magnetic variables analysed by multivariate statistics reveal significant differences between silt facies (e.g. mass-specific susceptibility χ=109.6×10-8 m3 kg-1, remanent coercivity Hcr=49.2 mT and total organic carbon (TOC)=1.11%) and sand facies (e.g. χ=82.1×10-8 m3 kg-1, Hcr=44.7 mT and TOC=0.70%), and four recent depositional sub-environments were identified and characterized in Lake Anónima. This multiparameter analysis contributes to the understanding of present-day lacustrine dynamic and sedimentary processes. Lake Anónima may provide a useful analogue for the interpretation of other lacustrine basins in the Antarctic region.

We examined sequence variation of ITS and phy2 for Bryum argenteum from Antarctica, sub-Antarctic, New Zealand and Australia to understand better taxonomic delimitations and resolve relationships between these geographic regions. Bryum argenteum has been recorded as two species, B. argenteum and B. subrotundifolium, in all four regions with the latter now referred to as B. argenteum var. muticum. We found disagreement between taxon delimitations (based on morphology) and molecular markers. All continental Antarctic specimens consistently formed a monophyletic sister group that consisted of both morphologically identified B. argenteum varieties, separate to all non-Antarctic specimens (also consisting of both varieties). We suggest, contrary to previous records, that all continental Antarctic (Victoria Land) populations are referable to B. argenteum var. muticum, while sub-Antarctic, Australian and New Zealand populations included here are B. argenteum var. argenteum. Additionally, since there was less genetic diversity within Victoria Land, Antarctica, than observed between non-Antarctic samples, we suggest that this is, in part, due to a potentially lower rate of DNA substitution and isolation in northern and southern refugia within Victoria Land since the Pleistocene.

A histochemical and electron microscopy study was carried out on muscle growth in demersal stages of the Antarctic teleost Notothenia neglecta Nybelin. The total number of myotomal muscle fibres was similar in fish ranging in body mass from 11.9g to 889g. Post-anal myotomes contained around 17,000 slow muscle fibres and 70,000 fast muscle fibres. Myosatellite cells were extremely rare. The diameter of fast fibres varied from <10μm to 130μm in the smallest, and from >40μm to 450μm in the largest fish studied. Slow muscle fibre diameters in the largest fish ranged from >30μm to 260μm. Even the largest diameter slow fibres contained significant numbers of mitochondria, which suggests that the diffusion of oxygen does not limit metabolism. The results confirm that muscle fibre hyperplasia ceases prior to the demersal stages of the life history, and that subsequent muscle growth is entirely via the hypertrophy of existing fibres. Comparative studies suggest that this may be one of the factors contributing to the relatively slow rate of somatic growth in this species.