Abstract:
The coastal marine environment of Terra Nova Bay is one of the few temporary ice free areas in the Ross Sea and has peculiar ecological characteristics, showing a higher productivity and abundance in zooplankton compared to other areas of the Victoria Land coast, and hosting a benthic community characterized by a remarcable species richness. Since 2003, part of this coastalmarine environment is protected by the Terra Nova Bay ASPA(n.161). During the Mario Zucchelli Station opening period, the Project will follow the evolution of the principal environmental features and of the pelagic and sympagic communities in stations, localized inside and outside the ASPA area (Faraglione, Portofino, Santa Maria Novella). The structure of the benthic community will be studied as in the past in front of Road Cove, in Adelie Cove and Tethys Bay. The ecological parameters (Science Plan EASIZ ) taken into account will be as follows: Ice measurements: type of ice, thickness, coverage (with other PNRA projects). Water column measurements: temperature, salinity, fluorescence, nutrients, chlorophyll and pigment spectra, particulate and dissolved matter,bacterioplankton,phytoplankton (composition),microzooplankton (composition), zooplankton (composition) Sediments: textural characteristics, biochemical composition of the organic matter Benthic and nekton communities: Structure and short- and long-term variations of key species The main atmospheric parameters will be analysed to understand the land-sea interactions (in collaboration with other projects). GIS, cartography and amplification of the website will be developed within the present competences in the MNA