Annual and spatial variations of chemical and physical properties in the Ross Sea surface waters (Antarctica)

Temperature, salinity, meltwater percentage, water column stability, dissolved oxygen and nutrients were measured in seawater samples collected at three fixed depths (0, 20, 100 m) in 104 stations located in three different areas of the Ross Sea (Antarctica), during four Italian Antarctic surveys carried out between 1998 and 2006. Nutrient data were used to quantify the nutrient removal, which appears particularly high in 2006, especially in polynya area. The N:P and Si:N disappearance ratios were studied to estimate the dominant phytoplanktonic community. No significant differences in the nutrient drawdown ratio were observed, in fact the N:P ratio was always below the Redfield standard ratio.