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Made in United, States of America Reprinted from Lruryorrev lNo Ocrlnrenlpsy Vol. 7, No. l, January, 1962 pp. 36-41

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A LIN,TNOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE IN THE AREA OF McMURDO SOUND,

nv KnNNurrr B. Anvrrecn eNp Hucn B. Houss A LIMNOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE IN THE AREA OF McMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA' Kenneth B. Armitage and Hugh B. House Department of Zoology, University of Kansas

ABSTNACT

During the Antarctic summer of 1960-61, limnological data were collected from a series of meltwater ponds and permanently ice-covered lakes in the area of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (77"5L'S, 166"37'E). All ponds were basic and more saline than typical fresh- water lakes. Primary production, measured in two ponds by the "light and dark bottle" tech- nique, varied from 326 to l00B mgC/ms/day. High intensity of light inhibited photosymthe- sis in shallow water. Lake Bonney in Taylor Dry Valley and Lake vanda in wright valley lie in a large ice-free area in South Victoria Land on the west side of McMurdo Sound. Each lake is covered u'ith 3.4-4.2 m of permanent ice and is meromictic. The mixolimnion of Lake Bonney varied from 0.3"-8"c; the monomolimnion was below 0'c. The mixolimnion of Lake Vanda varied from 0.7'-9.6'C; the monomolimnion was warmed to 22.C. The lakes are probably warmed geothermally. No zooplankton was found in any of the lakes, but 7 genera of Ciliata, 4 of Rotifera, and one each of Nematoda, Turbellaria, and Tardierada were collected from the littoral fauna of the meltwater ponds and around the edges of iakes Bonney and Vanda.

During the Antarctic summer of 1960-61, was obtained from Lakes Bonney and Vanda a series of lakes on and in Vic- between 2W26 Jantary. Most lakes were toria Land on the Antarctic continent were visited once. surveyed. The base of operations was the Conductivity was measured with a dionic Naval Air Facility, McMurdo (77'51' S, conductivity tube (James G. Biddle Co., 166'37'E) on Ross Island. Sorties were made Philadelphia), pH with a Beckman Model from this base by helicopter. G. Temperature was measured with either a The main purpose of the project was to Whitney resistance thermometer or an ordi- study the biology of zooplankton in the Ant- nary glass thermometer. Chlorinity was de- arctic envfuonment and to make a general termined according to standard oceano- survey of limnological conditions. The mean graphic procedures except that a standard temperature at McN4urdo for December, sea water was not used. All other chemical January, and February is -3.5"C; however, analyses followed procedures in Standard the temperature occasionally warms to 2.5" Methods (1955). C. But no zooplankton was found in the 14 ponds or lakes that were surveyed. There- MELTWATER PONDS fore, this report is concerned primarily with Meltwater ponds were located on low physical some of the and chemical features capes or points on Ross Island or the main- lakes. is hoped of the It that the information land and in the mouth of Taylor Dry Valley. presented here will stimulate others to study The ponds were in shallow depressions in Antarctic limnology. the topography where meltwater from gla- ciers METHODS and snow banks accumulated. Some smaller ponds dried up during the summer The lakes were visited between 14 Decem- season, but the ones discussed here con- ber, 1960 and 26 January, 1961. Productivity tained water throughout the summer season. was measured at Skua Lake on 4 January These ponds were shallow, with a maxi- and at on 1l-I2 January. Water mal depth of about 1.8 m. They ranged in area from about l 0.1 ares to about 1.5 hec- This project was supported by NSF grant tares. Most ponds freeze solid during the G-13231. The authors wish to thank Mr Karl Ricker winter, but Green for assistance in field operations, Dr Willis L. Tress- Lake had a few inches of ler for the loan of equipment, and Dr Emest E. saline water under 5 ft of ice ( David and Angino for assistance in chemical analyses. Priestly 1909). 36 LIMNOLOGY NEAR MCMURDO SOUND JI

Taslr 1. 'f emperature and. chemical n'Leasurements from meltwater pools and the shallow edges of ktkes

-- f"Ci PH (Pmho) (me/L) (me/L)

Cape Evans Skua Lake 8.0 8.52 1400 510 60 Pond #2 6.5 v.zD 6000 2270 380 Pond #3 6.5 8.98 3000 r445 Home Lake 3.2 9.0 8200 1675 1220 Coast Lake 4.5-6.5 8.32 750 275 40 Green Lake 4.8 9.52 6400 nr' 480 I.2 9.5 690 220 44 Lake north of Clear Lake ------6'0 8.62 610 190 Taylor DryValley Area of Commonwealth Glacier 6'0 8.4r 255 50 Lake Bonney (edge, several areas) ------3.0-5.0 7.25-8.18 105-210 25-70 Wright Valley Lake Vanda (edge) ------3.6 7.58 rr2 30 Seaward of L. Vanda 4.8 7.5 ll2 50 Sea Water ( McMurdo Sound) 70000 c 19000

All the ponds were basic, the pH ranging identical. The difference between the mean from 7.?5-9.5 (Table 1). The temperature of the two "light" bottles and the mean of varied from 1.2-8.0oC, similar to the range the two "dark" bottles was considered gross of G6'C for a series of shallow arctic lakes production and the difference between the "light" (Boyd 1959 ). Conductivity varied from 105 mean of the two bottles and the mean pmho in meltwater around the edge of large of the two blanks was considered net pro- lakes to 8200 u.mho in Home Lake. Conduc- duction. Light was measured at the level of tivity of the meltwater lakes was much the bottles with a submarine photometer. higher than for fresh-water lakes of north- The net production of oxygen varied from eaitern Wisconsin (Juday and Birge 1933), 0.029 to 0.057 mg/L/hr ( Table 2). The cor- but less than for saline lakes of Washington responding rates of production of carbon ( Edmondson 1956 ). However, many of the varied from 326 to 1008 mg/m?/day. These values of the meltwater lakes were higher rates are much higher than those reported than the conductivity of the mixolimnion for arctic lakes ( Comita and Edmondson 1960). ( 1600 pmho ) of Lower Goose Lake, Wash- 1953; Frey and Stahl 1958; Goldman ington. Chlorinity varied fuom 25-2715 Because the data from Antarctica represent All the concentrations were higher measurements of only two days in early Jan- ^gtl-.than for typical fresh-water lakes ( Hutchin- uary, further comparison does not seem son 1957, p. 561), but much lower than the feasible. chlorinity-of sea water of McMurdo Sound' The study at Coast Lake consisted of two Sulfate varied from 40-1220 mg/L. Chlorin- parts. In one part, bottles were submerged ity exceeded sulfate in every pond' for 2,4 hr; in the other, bottles were sub- Primary production was measured in two merged at 20-cm depth for periods varying ponds by means of the "light and dark" bot- from 6-10 hr, During the period of maximal ile technique (Gaarder and Gran IS27). light intensity, there was a loss of net pro- Water wal dipped from the shallow pond duction. Photosynthesis did occur, as evi- with a plastic bucket, stirred, and 6 bottles denced by the gross production of oxygen of quicklafilled. Concentrations of dissolved 0.155 mg/L,/hr, but was not sufficient to ol*yg"tt were determined by means of the meet respiratory needs. Inhibition of photo- unmodified Winkler method. The two synthesis by light of high intensity is well blanks, two bottles fixed and titrated at the known ( Ryther 1956). As the skies are usu- beginning of each experiment, never differecl ally overcast in the area of McMurdo Sound, byhore than 0.09 mg Oz/L and usually were it may be that production continues at a high 38 KENNETII B. ARMITAGE AND HUGrr B. HoUSE

Taar'n 2' Rates of production. The intensitg of tight is an approximation of the aoerage intensitg indicated period for the of time. wlrcn there was a m.arkid, o"il erilo"gni iii"gu't" th" iniilritj-of iigiri,- t*o aDerages uere deternxined. Net production of carbon (C) was caliulated rii"g o pe of 1.2i Gigth"er iSsal mc8;*:/h Lake rime ill::j N.et mg c/m,'/dav Skua 094Lt6 Coast 1130-1730 890 0.158 _0.055 _619 1730_2330 580 0,211 0.091 1008 2330-0930 235 (cloudy) 0.1t8 0.029 g26 0930-1530 540 (cloudy),'1050 0.lgl 0.061 686 Mean _ 0.148 0.031 346 Twenty-four hours: 40 cm depth 38/o of surface light 0.lZZ g0 0.048 S4O cm depth 22/o of surfacelight 0.107 0.033 B7l rate in the shallow waters. The rates at dipping water with a plastic bucket and depths of 40 and 90 cm were higher than the pouring the water through a #20 mesh plank- mean of the rates at 20-cm depth. Quite pos- ton net. Never less than 20 L of water was sibly inhibilion did not occur in tlie de6per sampled. No attempt was made to collect bottles, as the light intensity at 40 .* rirut littoral fauna and hence those organisms 550 ft-c during the time of maximal intensity were collected only incidentally. at the surface. As there is constant daylight No zooplankton was found. Phytoplank- during the period the lakes are thawed, pho- ton_ was primarily ChlnmgclnmoruB spp. tosynthesis must be continuous. It seems ( Thompson, personal communication ). TIie that detailed studies of production in a fauna that was collected ( Table 3 ) was simi- series of these meltwater ponds would con- lar to that reported for Cape Royds (llurray tribute greatly to our undirstanding of the 1910b, c; Russell 1956). Murray (t9l0a) adaptations of organisms to extreme environ- collected mainly by washing the littoral ments. vegetation, but also used a tow net. He also The ponds were sampled for organisms by failed to find zooplankton. However, he

Tenrr 3. Fauna collected from the meltaater ponds and the ed,ges of lakes. { indicates present; - indicates not found. ;, EO r.t !-8 r€r I f vc) r i- '= ; ra? >:: OU OU c6 x4qd 3d $ 3 ,gig s E <' (d Ciliata Nassul.a 'IE Euplntes Vorticelln Intrastglum Opisthonecta (?) Halteria Tracheophgllum Rotifera Philndina spp. Epiphanes senta Cephabdelln Collntheca ornata Nematoda Turbellaria Tardigrada LIMNOLOCY NEAR MCMURDO SOUND 39

t6

?o

24 ( 2A t=-\+

2@ 4@ 6@ m b@ SOOO TO,OOO 5O,O@ &,OOO 2@pOO

Frc. I. Variations * and conductivity with depth Lakes Bonney and Vanda.";;';;;",:#t"",

found several specimens of a calanoid and a these characteristics. This species was the single harpacticoid copepod in the ice of most abundant at Cape Royds ( Murray in Cape Royds. Blue Lake did not 1910c) as well as at Cape Armitage, Marble thaw during the period of Murrayt studies Point, and Skua Lake in December. In Janu- nor has it been known to thaw since. ary, Cephalod.elln was abundant in the sam- Of the ciliates reported here, all are new ple from Skua Lake and Philoilir?z was un- records for the study area except f.or Vorti- common. Probably the ecology of the roti- cella which Murray identified. Murray fers is the most interesting faunal problem in (f9l0c) did not find any rotifers in Home Antarctic fresh waters. Murray also found Lake ( in Murray's paper, but skins of mites, but found no live animals Iisted as Home Lake on the map of Cape except for one found in a culture upon his Royds); we collected Philodina in mid-De- return to England. cember, but not in early January. Two strik- ing characteristics of the rotifer fauna noted LAIGS OF TIIE DRY VALLEYS by Murray are the red color and viviparity. A large ice-free area exists in South Vic- Philodirw gregaria especially demonstrates toria Land on the west side of McMurdo 40 KENNETH B. ARMITAGE AND IruGrr B. HOUSE

Tesr-r 4. lonic content (mS/L) of Lakes Bonneg and Vanfui. The data from Lake Vanda wero selected to illustrate the aartntion in the mixoli,mnion

Depth (m) pH (t:l*) Po, Nos HCos sor Chlor. SOr/Cl Mg Ca Mg/Ca Na K Na/K Bonney ll.3 d.D 2000 0.01 0.014 87.8 126 750 0.168 42.8 44.5 0.96 168 ll0 1.52 3l 7.a 135000 0.01 0.04 453.8 630 42900 0.015 31504 1330 23.7 15600 rr000 l.4L Vanda ll.3 8.3 540 0.01 0.017 41.5 6.7 200 0.034 16.6 68,7 0.24 47 50 0.94 46.5 4400 0.01 0.I 85.4 40 1600 0.025 77 297.6 0.25 188 148 1.27 66 6.1 250000 l.0t 0.021 134.2 820 80800 0.0r 8183 25830 0.31 2360 3600 0.6s

Sound. The area is 10-50 miles wide and at the highly saline water in the bottom. Mero- least 100 miles long, consisting of alternating mixis is clearly evident in Lake Vanda from eastward-trending ridges and valleys from which more data are available. The mono- which the continental icecap has withdrawn molimnion lies below 60 m with a sharp (P6w61960). chemocline between 55 and 60 m (Fig. f ). Three of these valleys, from south to north, The water above 55 m apparently forms a Taylor, Wright, and Victoria, contain large mixolimnion. There is close correspondence lakes, respectively, Lakes Bonney, Vanda, among the temperature, chlorinity, and con- and Vida. AII are permanently covered with ductivity curves. The coldest water has ice. about the same chlorinity and conductivity Lake Bonney is about 19 miles from the as meltwater at the edee of the lake and mouth of Taylor Dry Valley. It is approxi- meltwater from glacieri entering the lake. mately 5.4 km long and about 1.1 km wide Probably the meromixis in both lakes was at its widest point. The ice, cored near the initiated ectogenically. Both lakes lie in middle of the lake. was about 4.2 m thick. closed basins and the monomolimnia may Total depth was 31 m. Temperature varied have formed by evaporation. Lake Bonney from -2.4"C at 3l m to 8.0oC at 12 m (Fig. may be a remnant of an earlier Glacial Lake r). Ilano (P6w6, op. cit.). However, the SOr/Cl Lake Vanda is about 3l miles from the and Mg/Ca ratios ( Table 4 ) of the monomo- ocean at Gneiss Pt. It is about 6.5 km lons limnion of Lake Bonney indicate a possible and 1.8 km wide at its widest point. Tw6 origin from sea water. As the surface of corings were made on different days. The Lake Bonney is about 300 ft above the pres- ice varied from 3.4-3.6 m in thickness. Max- ent sea level, such an origin must be consid- imal depth was 66 m. Temperature varied ered. Lake Vanda, however, is about 400 from 0.7oC at 3.7 m to 22.0'C at 66 m (Fig. above sea level; this elevation plus the r). Mg/Ca ratio indicate an origin of the mono- Lake Vida is about 27 miles from Gneiss molimnion by evaporation or salting-out Pt. It is about 3.8 km long and 1.5 km wide during freezing. at its widest point. Attempts to core this lake Both lakes had ternperatures in excess of were unsuccessful. The corer stuck in the 4oC. In Lake Vanda, the monomolimnion ice at a depth of 4.6 m. The lake has numer- was warmest. In Lake Bonney, the maximal ous pressure domes characteristic of ice temperature occurred in the presumed mixo- frozen to the ground so that there may be limnion; the monomolimnion was below little, if any, water in Lake Vida. 0'C. The most likely source of heat is geo- Water collected at various depths from thermal; either from warm springs or from a Lakes Bonney and Vanda was analyzed in high geothermal gradient. Such a heat- greater detail than water from the melt- source does not seem unreasonable, as an water ponds (Table 4). Iron, ammonia, and active volcano, Mt. Erebus, is only about 70 nitrate were not detected in any of the water miles distant. samples. There was a strong odor of hydro- Water in excess of 100 gal was pumped gen sulfide from the sample at 66 m from from each lake through a #25 mesh plankton Lake Vanda. net. Only one organism, a Chlorella-like Both lakes are meromictic as evidenced bv alga, was found. LIMNOLOGY NEAR MCMURDO SOUND 4I

REFENENCES Gornuaw, C. R. 1960. Primary productivity and limiting factors in three lakes of the Alaska Aru. Pun. Hrer-rs Standard Meth- Assoc. 1955. Peninsula. Ecol. Monogr., 3Oz 207-230. ods for the examination of water, sewage, and Hu'rcnrNsox, G. E. 1957. A treatise on limnol- industrial wastes. pp. New York. 522 ogy. I. Geography, physics, and chemistry. Bovo, Limnology selected W. L. 1959. of arctic Wiley and Sons, New York. 1015 pp. lakes in relation to water supply problems. John Juoev, C., eNn E. A. Brncu. 1933. The transpar- Ecol.,4O:49-54. ency, the color and the specific conductance of Corurra, G.W., ewo W. Eorr.roNosor.T. 1953. T. the lake waters of northeastern Wisconsin. Some aspects of the limnology arctic lake, of an Trans. Wisconsin Acad. Sci. Arts Lett., 28: Stanford Univ. Publ., Univ. Series, Biol. Soc., 201259. ll:7-13. j. Devrn. T. W. E.. eNo R. Pnrrsrr-ny. f909. Munnev, l9l0a. On collecting at Cape Royds. E. Invest. Antarc. 1907- Geological observations in Antarctica by the Rep. Sci. Brit. Exped. 1909, 1-15. British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-1909. l: fn; Shackleton, E. H., The heart of the Antarc- 19f 0b. On microscopic life at Cape tic, vol. 2, Appendix II, pp. 268-307. William Royds. lbiiL., lz I7-22. Heinemann, London. 1910c. Antarctic Rotifera. Ibicl., lz Eorroxosox, W. T. f956. N{easurement of con- 4145. ductivity of lake water in situ. Ecol., 37: P6w6, T. L. 1960. Multiple glaciation in the Mc- 20L-204. Murdo Sound region, Antarctica-a progress Fnrv, D. G., ern J. B. Srenr. 1958. Measure- report. J. Geol., 68: 49&514. ments of primary production on Southampton RussBr-r-. P. O. 1956. The Rotatoria of the Ross Island in the Canadian arctic. Limnol. Ocean- Dependency. R. S. N. Z. Antarctic research ogr.,3: 215-22L. committee. Spec. Rep. No. 3, Specialist Re- Geenorn, T., aNo H. H. GnlN. 1927. Investiga- ports in Biol. and Geol., 8 pp. tions of the production of plankton in the Oslo Rvrrrnn, J. H. 1956. The measurement of pri- Fjord. Rapp. Proc.-Verb., Cons. Int. Explor. mary production. Limnol. Oceanogr., l: 72- Mer, 42: 1-48. 84.