Differences in abundance and distribution of Alexandrium cysts in Sendai Bay,northern Japan,before and after the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake

The tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 greatly influenced the coastal benthic environment on the northern Pacific coast of Japan. We used the direct count method to investigate changes in the abundance and distribution of Alexandrium (Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium catenella) cysts before and after the tsunami in Sendai Bay. Densities of Alexandrium cysts in sediments collected in summer 2011 ranged from 0 to 8,190 cysts cm^?3. In the western part of the bay, the density increased greatly after the tsunami, the highest density being approximately 10 times the density recorded in 2005. Molecular identification of single cysts with multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that Alexandrium tamarense dominated the cyst population in the southwestern part of the bay in 2011. Furthermore, accumulation of cysts on the surface sediment after disturbance of the sediment was confirmed by a laboratory experiment. The main factor causing the drastic changes in abundance and distribution of Alexandrium cysts after the earthquake was considered to be vertical and horizontal redistribution of the cysts in sediments after the tsunami.     

The influence of shelf processes in delivering dissolved iron to the HNLC waters of the Drake Passage,Antarctica

Dissolved trace element distributions near Elephant Island in the Drake Passage show extremely high levels of dissolved Fe and Mn in waters above the shelf. The entrainment of this enriched shelf water by the Fe-poor Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) as it passes through the Shackleton Gap delivers an estimated 2.8×10⁶ mol yr⁻¹ dissolved Fe to the offshore waters of the Drake Passage. The magnitude and spatial distribution of dissolved Fe, Mn and Al over the shelf are consistent with a diagenetically produced sedimentary source, but are inconsistent with eolian or upwelling sources. The systematics of the Mn and Fe concentrations suggest that there are two distinct sources of dissolved Fe to the surface waters of this region. The highest Fe concentrations are associated with Bransfield Strait water, which can be identified by its characteristic temperature and salinity (T/S) properties both inside the Bransfield Strait and in the Bransfield Current outflow between Elephant and Clarence Islands. Most of the shelf area is dominated by a second water type with T/S properties that are typical of modified Antarctic Surface Water, which while also enriched has a lower Fe:Mn ratio.The predominantly linear relationships between the Fe and Mn concentrations at the stations in each of these water mass types suggest that the distribution of these elements is largely controlled by physical mixing processes and that biological removal of Fe on the shelf, while certainly occurring, is limited, perhaps as a result of rapid physical flushing processes and relatively slow biological growth rates. The consequent export of large quantities of this shelf-derived Fe into the ACC is likely responsible for the extensive regions of enhanced primary production seen in satellite imagery downstream of the Drake Passage.     

东海原甲藻核酸和蛋白对环境中氮磷浓度变化的响应

通过设定不同的氮(N)、磷(P)浓度一次性培养东海原甲藻,研究了该藻的生长状况及不同生长阶段单位细胞DNA,RNA及蛋白质含量的变化,结果表明,不同氮磷浓度对东海原甲藻的生长产生显著影响,最终生物量与初始的氮磷浓度呈正相关,不同培养组的最大生长率存在显著差异(P<0.05);DNA含量与培养液中氮浓度相关性极显著(P<0.01),但与磷浓度相关性不显著(P>0.05);RNA含量与氮磷浓度均呈极显著相关(P<0.01),而且在不同的生长阶段其含量也会发生变化,随着培养时间的延长,各培养组的RNA含量显著下降(P<0.05);RNA/DNA比值与氮磷浓度均显著相关(P<0.05),而且与生长率呈线性相关关系。培养液中氮浓度显著影响到东海原甲藻单位细胞总蛋白含量,磷缺乏也会使总蛋白含量显著降低。     

On the detectability of internal tides in Drake Passage

The Southern Ocean hosts significant topographic mixing that might be associated with internal tides. Tidal signals are evident in bottom temperature at 1000 m in Drake Passage, suggesting that internal tides with an amplitude of between ∼20 and 200 m may be present. Various necessary conditions for internal tide generation show that the steep topography in and around Drake Passage can initiate internal tides, and recent global tide models have suggested this region to generate very large interface displacements. Here, we present an attempt to detect internal tides in Drake Passage. During the last 10 years, combinations of bottom pressure recorders and inverted echo sounders have been deployed in the region. The bottom pressure recorders measure predominantly the barotropic tide; the inverted echo sounders measure travel time from sea bed to sea surface and therefore are influenced both by sea level (barotropic tide) and internal sound speed (internal tide). By subtracting one from the other, the internal tide should be detectable. Although the technique works successfully around Hawaii, it does not prove the existence of large internal tides in Drake Passage. The detectability of the internal tidal signal in Drake Passage is investigated using a six-layer one-dimensional model to simulate the bottom pressure and travel time signals of a semi-diurnal tide. The temperature and salinity stratification in Drake Passage is sufficiently weak that large vertical excursions are necessary to produce a signal in travel time detectable above the noise in Drake Passage. An internal tide of at least 70 or 20 m in northern and southern Drake Passage, respectively, would be detected. The fact that these are, perhaps surprisingly, not detected by the combination of bottom pressure and travel time, constrains the internal tides in Drake Passage to be ∼20 m in southern Drake Passage, and between 20 and 70 m in northern Drake Passage. The model also predicts that satellite altimetry would not be able to detect internal tides in Drake Passage, but would in the Brazil Basin and Hawaii regions.     

Thermal effects on the growth and fatty acid composition of four harmful algal bloom species: Possible implications for ichthyotoxicity

Little is known regarding how harmful algal bloom species respond to different temperatures in terms of fatty acid production. This study examined the effects of temperature on the growth rates, cell volumes, and fatty acid concentrations and compositions of four harmful algal bloom species (HABs), Akashiwo sanguinea, Alexandrium tamarense, Chattonella ovata, and Prorocentrum minimum. The HABs species were cultured at 15, 20, 25, and 30°C in a nutrient-enriched medium. Three of the species maintained optimal growth rates over a wide range of temperatures, but A. tamarense did not. The cell volumes of each species showed little change over the temperature range. The total fatty acid concentrations in A. sanguinea, A. tamarense and C. ovata decreased as the temperature increased, but P. minimum showed no trend in this respect. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the key biochemical components that maintain cell membrane fluidity and which are associated with toxicity, decreased in both concentration and proportion of total fatty acids as temperature increased, except in A. sanguinea, in which the proportion of PUFAs to the total fatty acids increased. These reductions in PUFA concentration and proportion could reduce cell membrane fluidity and toxicity in HABs; however, enhanced growth and/or ruptured cells, which are considered more toxic than intact cells, could compensate for the reduced per-cell toxicity. This phenomenon might impact on the marine ecosystem and aquaculture industry.     

Flushing rate and salinity may control the blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense in a river/estuary in Osaka Bay, Japan

The first observation of a red tide of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense in the Yodo River estuary, Osaka Bay, Japan was in the spring of 2007. To clarify which environmental factors controlled the abundance of A. tamarense, field surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, the increase of A. tamarense occurred from early to mid-March and temperatures ranged from 9 to 13 °C. In contrast, in 2009, the increase was 1 month later, from early to mid-April and therefore temperatures were higher. In both years, A. tamarense was most abundant when salinities were relatively high (15–25), river discharge was low, and the water column was stable. There were no cells during periods of low salinity (<10), high discharge. In 2008, possibly silicate and phosphate were limiting during the simultaneous diatom and A. tamarense bloom in early March with silicate restricting the further growth of diatoms. In this estuarine basin, freshwater discharge from the weir increased the flow rate at stations downstream of the weir and deterred bloom formation by A. tamarense. Conversely, the lack of discharge increased the salinity and stability of the water column and decreased in the flow rate in the river/estuary. This process promoted the initiation of the bloom of A. tamarense and the subsequent accumulation of paralytic shellfish toxin in the brackish water clam Corbicula japonica. It is recommended that a constant discharge from the weir is maintained in order to prevent blooms of A. tamarense and subsequent paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) incidents in this area.     

Particulate carbohydrate fluxes in the Bransfield Strait and the Drake Passage

Carbohydrate fluxes were determined for five drifting sediment traps (max. 30 h) in the Bransfield Strait and one moored trap array (52 days) in the Drake Passage in December/January 1980. In a Phaeocystis-dominated zone in the Bransfield Strait the carbohydrate composition was comparable to that of water column suspended material with absolute fluxes of 9.0 and 56.7 mg carbohydrate carbon m⁻²d⁻¹. In Bransfield Strait waters dominated by bacillariophyceae, fluxes were 75.4, 92.6 and 276.8 mg carbohydrate carbon m⁻²d⁻¹ with a pronounced dominance of glucose. This is attributed to the presence of the reserve polysaccharide chrysolaminarin in diatom resting spores. Drake Passage fluxes were 1–2 orders of magnitude lower with a distinct degradation of glucose with depth.     

Reconnaissance dating: A new radiocarbon method applied to assessing the temporal distribution of Southern Ocean deep-sea corals

We have developed a rapid ‘reconnaissance’ method of preparing graphite for ¹⁴C/¹²C analysis. Carbonate (～15 mg) is combusted using an elemental analyzer and the resulting CO₂ is converted to graphite using a sealed tube zinc reduction method. Over 85% (n=45 replicates on twenty-one individual corals) of reconnaissance ages measured on corals ranging in age from 500 to 33,000 radiocarbon years (Ryr) are within two standard deviations of ages generated using standard hydrolysis methods on the same corals, and all reconnaissance ages are within 300 Ryr of the standard hydrolysis ages. Replicate measurements on three individual aragonitic corals yielded ages of 1076±35 Ryr (standard deviation; n=5), 10,739±47 Ryr (n=8), and 40,146±3500 Ryr (n=9). No systematic biases were found using different cleaning methods or variable sample sizes. Analysis of ¹³C/¹²C was made concurrently with the ¹⁴C/¹²C measurement to correct for natural fractionation and for fractionation during sample processing and analysis. This technique provides a new, rapid method for making accurate, percent-level ¹⁴C/¹²C analyses that may be used to establish the rates and chronology of earth system processes where survey-type modes of age estimation are desirable. For example, applications may include creation of sediment core-top maps, preliminary age models for sediment cores, and growth rate studies of marine organisms such as corals or mollusks. We applied the reconnaissance method to more than 100 solitary deep-sea corals collected in the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to investigate their temporal and spatial distribution. The corals used in this study are part of a larger sample set, and the subset that was dated was chosen based on species as opposed to preservation state, so as to exclude obvious temporal biases. Similar to studies in other regions, the distribution of deep-sea corals is not constant through time across the Drake Passage. Most of the corals from the Burdwood Bank (continental shelf of Argentina) have ages ranging between 0 and 2500 calendar years, whereas most of the corals from the Sars Seamount in the Drake Passage have ages between 10,000 and 12,500 calendar years. Such differences may be caused in part by sampling biases, but may also be caused by changes in larval transport, nutrient supply, or other environmental pressures.     

An antipodal link between the North Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans?

We report on the extraordinary findings of several endemic species of North Pacific deepwater fish and squid on the continental slope of the Falkland Islands in the Southwest Atlantic, namely the giant rattail grenadier Albatrossia pectoralis (Macrouridae), pelagic eelpout Lycodapus endemoscotus (Zoarcidae) and squid Gonatopsis octopedatus (Gonatidae). These deepwater dwellers might have moved more than 15,000 km from their common species ranges with Pacific Deep Water along the western slopes of both Americas and through the Drake Passage. Our findings provide further evidence of the possible role of deepwater currents in the dispersal of bathypelagic and benthopelagic animals from one polar region to another across various climatic zones of the world ocean.     

硝基苯和间苯二酚对3 种海洋微藻的毒理效应

通过研究硝基苯和间苯二酚对海洋微藻的毒理效应,旨在提示化工废水污染对水环境破坏的严重性,揭示海洋微藻类净化废水的潜在应用。本试验用塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandrium tamarense)、海链藻(Thalassiosira weissflogii)和绿色巴夫藻(Pavlova viridis)为供试藻种,以微藻生长量及叶绿素 a 的变化为参数,研究不同质量浓度的硝基苯和间苯二酚对3种海洋微藻的毒理效应。结果表明：硝基苯对塔玛藻和巴夫藻的生长具有一定的抑制作用,质量浓度为12mg/L时抑制率分别为22.9%和20.04%,但对海链藻的生长在一定程度上有促进作用。间苯二酚对海链藻和巴夫藻的生长具有抑制作用,质量浓度为12mg/L 时其抑制率分别为26.11%和23.6%,对塔玛亚历山大藻的生长有一定的促进作用。对塔玛亚历山大藻和巴夫藻而言,在硝基苯质量浓度为3mg/L 时,叶绿素 a 含量均达到最低,其叶绿素 a含量分别为对照组的68.6%和50.9%,对于海链藻,硝基苯对其叶绿素a的影响波动不大。间苯二酚对3种海洋微藻叶绿素 a 含量的影响为绿色巴夫藻>海链藻>塔玛亚历山大藻,其叶绿素 a 含量分别是对照组的1.1%,24.9%,88%。     

The Scotia Sea and the Drake Passage as an orographic barrier for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

It is shown on the basis of the data of the Russian Academy of Sciences expeditions in 2003–2010, the historical CTD database, the WOCE climatology, and the satellite altimetry that the area of the Scotia Sea and the Drake Passage is even a greater significant orographic barrier for the eastward Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) than was previously thought. It is the current concept that this barrier is the most important for the ACC; it consists of three obstacles: the Hero Ridge with the Phoenix Rift, the Shackleton Ridge, and the North Scotia Ridge with the relatively shallow eastern part of the Scotia Sea. Despite the fact that all three obstacles are permeable for the layer of the Circumpolar Bottom Water (CBW; 28.16 < γ ⁿ < 28.26) being considered the lower part of the circumpolar water, the circulation in this layer throughout the Scotia Sea and the Drake Passage quite substantially differs from the transfer by the surface-intensified ACC jets. Herewith, the upper CBW boundary is the lower limit of the circumpolar coverage of the ACC jets. This result is confirmed by the near zero estimate of the total CBW transport according to the three series of the LADCP measurements on the sections across the Drake Passage. It is shown that the transformation (cooling and freshening) of the CBW layer, which occurs owing to the flow of the ACC over the Shackleton Ridge, is associated with the shape and location of the ridge in the Drake Passage. The high southern part of this ridge is a partially permeable screen for the eastward CBW transport behind which the colder and fresher waters of the Weddell Sea and the Bransfield Strait of the same density range as the CBW penetrate into the ACC zone. The partial permeability of the Shackleton Ridge for the CBW layer leads to the salinization of this layer on the eastern side of the ridge and to the CBW’s freshening on the western side of this ridge, which is observed across the entire Drake Passage.     

Spatial variability of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration in the drake passage in the austral spring

The spatial distribution of the primary production (PP) and the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) were investigated during two research cruises in the Drake Passage area in October–November of 2007 and 2008. The algorithm evaluating the integral PP (PP_int) for the water column in this area was developed based on the data on the surface chlorophyll (Chl_s) and the incident solar irradiance obtained in 2004–2008 in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. The results obtained both by the experimental and model approaches suggested that the Polar Front (PF) region of the Drake Passage was characterized by low values of both the PP_int (<100 mg C/m² per day) and Chl_s (0.08–0.20 mg/m³) in October–November. Low values of the Chl_s and relatively high phaeophytine a concentrations indicated the winter succession state of the phytoplankton community in the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). The seasonal warming of the surface water layers and the developing pycnocline resulted in a phytoplankton bloom and a Chl_s concentration of more than 1 mg/m³ in mid-November in this area and the Subantarctic waters.     

Numerical modeling of currents in the Drake Passage with assimilation of the experimental data of 2003

Computation of ocean currents in the Drake Passage is carried out with variational assimilation of the data of the hydrographical section across the Drake Passage carried out on December 11–15, 2003, and other data. A stream-eddy structure of the easterly Antarctic Circumpolar Current and a westerly current on the Antarctic Slope are obtained. Water transports by the different current field components and the integral transport across the Drake Passage are estimated. The necessity of direct current measurements in the Drake Passage for a correct estimate of the transport is confirmed.     

A comparative study of maximal quantum yield of photosystem II to determine nitrogen and phosphorus limitation on two marine algae

We studied the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus supply on F_v/F_m (maximal quantum yield of photosystem II) in the diatom Chaetoceros debilis and dinoflagellate Scrippsiella trochoidea in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) depleted cultures to determine whether this parameter could be used to monitor N or P limitation. In the nutrient depleted experiments, no obvious decrease of cell density and chlorophyll concentration was observed except in N-depleted incubation of S. trochoidea. For C. debilis, F_v/F_m decreased quickly in periods of N- and P-depletion and re-supply of N and P induced a quick recovery of F_v/F_m. However, in S. trochoidea culture, F_v/F_m remained unchanged in N- and P-depleted conditions and addition of sufficient N and P to N- and P-depleted cultures did not affect F_v/F_m. Therefore, F_v/F_m is insensitive to N and/or P limitation in growth of S. trochoidea. The results suggested that F_v/F_m was not a robust diagnostic for nutrient limitation in dinoflagellates. The differences in the sensitivity of F_v/F_m to nutrient limitation may result from different nutrient storage abilities among algal species.     

海洋中麻痹性贝类毒素的合成转化及其影响因素研究进展

麻痹性贝类毒素(paralytic shellfish toxins,PSTs)是由某些甲藻产生的一种高毒性神经毒素,在海洋环境中分布广、危害大,可对水产养殖和人类健康造成重大危害;PSTs毒素的毒性大小随种类和结构的不同有较大差异。迄今,国内外学者针对PSTs的来源分布、迁移转化、生物合成及其影响因素等开展了大量的调查研究,但目前对于藻细胞产毒的生物合成途径、遗传学特征及其环境调控机理等研究仍处于起步阶段。PSTs的生物合成过程不仅与藻细胞自身生长阶段有关,还会受到光照、温度、营养盐等多种环境因素的影响,环境条件的改变会引起藻细胞毒素组成和含量发生不同程度的变化。近年来,研究人员应用基因组学和蛋白质组学技术,发现了产生PSTs的典型甲藻——亚历山大藻(Alexandrium)细胞内与PSTs毒素生物合成相关的某些基因或蛋白质,对我们更清晰地了解亚历山大藻产生PSTs毒素的机制具有重要意义。本文综合以往的研究报道,对亚历山大藻中PSTs的生物合成与转化及其主要影响因素进行了总结,以期为产毒有害藻华的防治提供科学依据。     

Isotopic and elemental indicators of nutrient sources and status of coastal habitats in the Caribbean Sea,Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

Nutrient inputs associated with coastal population growth threaten the integrity of coastal ecosystems around the globe. In order to assess the threat posed by rapid growth in tourism, we analyzed the nutrient concentrations as well as the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ and macrophytes to detect wastewater nitrogen (N) at 6 locations along a groundwater-dominated coastal seagrass bed on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. We predicted that locations with greater coastal development would have higher concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (P), as well as δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻, reflecting wastewater sources of N. However, concentrations of NO₃⁻ were not significantly different between developed (3.3 ± 5.3 μM NO₃⁻) and undeveloped (1.1 ± 0.7 μM) marine embayments. The most important control on DIN concentration appeared to be mixing of fresh and salt water, with DIN concentrations negatively correlated with salinity. The δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ was elevated at an inland pond (7.0 ± 0.42‰) and a hydrologically-connected tide pool (7.6 ± 0.57‰) approximately 1 km downstream of the pond. The elevated δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ at the pond was paralleled by high δ¹⁵N values of Cladophora sp., a ubiquitous green alga (10 ± 1‰). We hypothesize that inputs of nitrogen rich (NO₃⁻ > 30 μM) groundwater, characterized by ¹⁵N enriched signatures, flow through localized submarine groundwater discharges (SGD) and contribute to the elevated δ¹⁵N signatures observed in many benthic macrophytes. However, changes in nitrogen concentrations and isotope values over the salinity gradient suggest that other processes (e.g. denitrification) could also be contributing to the ¹⁵N enrichments observed in primary producers. More measurements are needed to determine the relative importance of nitrogen transformation processes as a source of ¹⁵N to groundwaters; however, it is clear that continued inputs of anthropogenic N via SGD have the potential to severely impact ecologically and economically valuable seagrass meadows and coral reefs along the Caribbean coast of Mexico.     

Modern Dinoflagellate Cysts Distribution off the Eastern Part of Geoje Island,Korea

Distributional characteristics of dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediments were investigated in relation to environmental factors in the eastern part of Geoje Island, Korea. Samples were collected from 10 stations in February of 2004 and water temperature and salinity were measured in February, May, September and November of 2004. Total 30 taxa of dinoflagellate cysts were identified representing 19 genera, 28 species and 2 unidentified species. Among these dinoflagellate cysts,Brigantedinium spp. of which relative proportion in the total dinoflagellate cysts was 23.5%, was the most abundant at all stations except St. 1, and was followed bySpiniferites bulloideus (8.6%),Lingulodinium machaerophorum (8.2%) andDiplopsalis lenticula (6.7%). In addition, ellipsoidal cysts of the genusAlexandrium (Alexandrium catenella - tamarense type) andGymnodinium catenatum, known to be causative organisms for PSP, occurred with high concentrations.Scrippsiella trochoidea was also found; however, its cyst concentration was low. Generally, species composition in the study area was similar to these reported from Jinhae Bay and Busan Harbor and several dinoflagellate cysts reflected the eutrophic condition. Cyst distribution in the eastern part of Geoje Island seems to be influenced by the Tsushima Warm Current flowing from the southwest. The mean water temperature was 12.0°C in February, 14.7°C in May, 20.9°C in September and 17.2°C in November, which was most favorable forAlexandrium spp. growth. The abundances of dinoflagellate cysts ranged from 528 to 2,834 cysts/g dry sediment. Higher concentrations were recognized in sediments of west area of the Jisimdo than at other stations. The cyst composition of this area was closely related to these of Jinhae Bay and Busan Harbor from which currents flow into this area. Higher cyst concentration in the west area of Jisimdo might be due to formation of the gyre.     

Seasonal Variability of the Thermohaline Characteristics and Volumetric Statistical Parameters of Water Masses in the Drake Passage

On the basis of the many-year monthly average thermohaline data of the oceanographic array, we study some regularities of the seasonal cycle in the fields of temperature, salinity, and the characteristics of water masses in the Drake Passage. We obtain and analyze the amplitude and phase parameters of seasonal oscillations of the investigated quantities. By using the volumetric statistical T, S-analysis, we deduce quantitative estimates of the annual variations of the volumes of main water masses in the Drake Passage. Possible mechanisms responsible for the phenomena observed in this region are discussed.__________Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 62–73, November–December, 2004.     

Distribution of chaetognaths in the central part of the Drake Passage

The mesoscale distribution of two chaetognath species, Eukrohnia hamata and Sagitta gazellae, found in the Drake Passage in October and November of 2008 was studied using a stationary grid in the area of the Antarctic Polar Front. The distance between the stations was around ten miles. The most abundant chaetognath species was Eukrohnia hamata, which accounted for 86.7% of all the individuals collected. In the upper 200 m, the average abundance of chaetognaths decreased from 2.1 to 0.8 ind./m³, and their average biomass decreased from 1.25 to 0.25 mg/m³ over the transition through the front from the north to the south. The high heterogeneity of the spatial chaetognath distribution in the area was demonstrated: the abundance of the chaetognaths could increase or decrease over 20 miles by a factor of 45 (6.8 and 0.15 ind./m³). In addition, two peaks were revealed in the size structure of the E. hamata population, probably indicating two periods of reproduction in this species in the Drake Passage.     

Long-term trends and interannual variability of temperature in Drake Passage

Temperature data collected over the last 36 years (1969–2004) in Drake Passage are used to examine interannual temperature variation and long-term trends in the upper ocean. To reduce the effect of variation from different sampling locations and temporal variability introduced by meridional shifts in the Polar Front (PF), the data were divided into two sub-regions north (3800 temperature profiles) and south (3400) of the PF. Temperature anomalies were formed by removing a temporal mean field for each profile in each sub-region at 100 m depth intervals from the surface to 700 m. North of the PF, statistically significant warming trends of 0.02 °C yr⁻¹ were observed that were largely depth-independent between 100 and 700 m. A statistically significant cooling trend of −0.07 °C yr⁻¹ was observed at the surface south of the PF, which was smaller (−0.04 °C yr⁻¹) but still statistically significant when possible seasonal sampling biases were accounted for. The observed cooling at the surface and warming at depth is largely consistent with a poleward shift of the PF due to enhancement of westerly winds in the Southern Ocean, as recently suggested by models and observations. The observed annual temperature anomalies in the upper 400 m north of the PF and in the upper 100 m south of the PF are highly correlated to variability in sea ice, and also to climate indices of the Antarctic Oscillation and the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Variability in sea ice and temperature anomalies lag El Niño variability in the Pacific, with a phasing consistent with the observed cyclical patterns of sea ice and sea surface temperature associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Wave or Antarctic Dipole Mode in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, the sea ice variability and temperature anomalies at all depths north of the PF and at 0–100 m depth south of the PF were primarily coincident with, or led the Antarctic Oscillation Index. No significant correlations were found with the large-scale climate variability indices in southern Drake Passage below 100 m depth, which is occupied by upper Circumpolar Deep Water (uCDW). This water mass is not formed locally, is largely isolated from the surface, and exhibits vertical and lateral homogeneity. Hence changes may be difficult to detect in the available measurements, and climate variation in the source water regions of uCDW may take a long time to reach Drake Passage.