Beaching of the tunicate Salpa thompsoni at high levels of suspended particulate matter in the Southern Ocean


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ubathmann [ at ] awi-bremerhaven.de

Abstract

A mass death event of the pelagic tunicate Salpa thompsoni, which occurred in April 2002 in the Potter Cove, near the Argentinean/German Antarctic station Jubany (62°14S 58°40W), King George Island, South Shetland Islands, is described. Salps appeared on the beach two days after very strong (> 80 km.h-1) winds were registered, which accumulated particulate material in the inner part of the cove and probably also re-suspended bottom sediments. The sharp increase in particulate matter concentrations in Potter Cove caused clogging (sensu Harbison et al. 1986) of salp mucous filtering nets and likely a combination of clogging, winds and tides caused dying salps to be washed out on the beach. Until further research, it may be postulated that particle concentrations exceeding 20 mgDW.l-1 could be considered as natural threshold concentrations for S. thompsoni in the high Antarctic coastal regions.



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Article
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Published
Eprint ID
5753
DOI 10.1007/s00300-003-0494-z

Cite as
Pakhomov, E. A. , Fuentes, V. , Schloss, I. , Atencio, A. and Esnal, G. B. (2003): Beaching of the tunicate Salpa thompsoni at high levels of suspended particulate matter in the Southern Ocean , Polar Biology, 26 , pp. 427-431 . doi: 10.1007/s00300-003-0494-z


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