Submitted by: Tareen Haque The City College of New York tareen.haque@macaulay.cuny.edu
Abstract:
The Western Antarctic Peninsula experiences the most rapid rates of global warming anywhere, as it is exposed to atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Palmer Deep, a submarine canyon and a biological hotspot along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, is home to many species, including Antarctic krill, a keystone species (Euphausia superba). Palmer Deep is an ideal region to study the climate gradient effect going on, as it is located between polar and subpolar climates. As of now, only nearshore research has been conducted regarding the link between krill populations and environmental factors. To understand ecological population dynamics in Antarctica, bioacoustics were used by analyzing recorded data from echo sounders deployed on moorings spanning Palmer Deep. The krill characteristics derived from the mooring data will be compared to data from underwater Slocum gliders with oceanographic and acoustic sensors. To analyze the spatiotemporal variation, metrics were defined to analyze krill distribution. These metrics were krill occurrences, by seeing the percentage of krill per depth, the number of swarms longer than ten meters, and the largest krill aggregation recorded over each depth. Data analysis shows that the Wauwermans Islands have both higher krill occurrence near the surface, and larger krill swarms. These krill occurrences are correlated with regions of chlorophyll, Winter Water, and warmer temperatures. Essentially, Palmer Deep does vary from one side of the canyon to the other, especially since the Wauwermans Island has a much greater krill occurrence.
Primary Session Choice: SS001 ASLO Multicultural Program Student Symposium
Authors:
Tareen Haque, The City College of New York (tareen.haque@macaulay.cuny.edu)
Josh Kohut, Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (kohut@marine.rutgers.edu)
Jacquelyn Veatch, Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (jveatch@marine.rutgers.edu)
Joseph Gradone, Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (jgradone@marine.rutgers.edu)
PALMER DEEP: MOOR THAN MEETS THE EYE
Category
Scientific Sessions > SS001 ASLO Multicultural Program Student Symposium
Description
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