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Microbial variabilitY in the Kongsfjorden Area (MIKA)
IADC_id: 26
active
Call year: 2015
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The aims of the project are three: to study the variability of biological pump in the short time scale along the water column of the site ( ~ 100 m) where is positioned the Dirigibile Italia mooring (MDI) managed by ISMAR-CNR; to develop technology for sampling the bottom boundary layer and the surface sea water (e.g., near a glacier); to monitor temperature and light penetration in some lakes next to Dirigibile Italia Station. MDI site is highly dynamic where the stratification of the water masses as well as the distribution of organic carbon along the vertical are affected by both sea-ice melt and river runoff (with implications for the penetration of light available for phytoplankton). Hence, in this complicated context, the normal flow of the biological pump is altered by several factors. The proposed experiment will be carried out in June 2015 and it will repeat what has already been done in September 2013, with the novelty of focusing on the sea surface microlayer and the bottom boundary layer. In particular, we will try to know if the high daily variability observed in the previous study was linked to a local or seasonal factor. In the water column Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) will be measured and seawater samples will be collected at six different depths (sea surface microlayer, 0.5, 5, 25, 50, 100 m) to determine the following parameters: nutrients, organic carbon, prokaryotes (abundance, biomass and diversity), phytoplankton (abundance, biomass and diversity) and microbial activities. Moreover, our team will test a new device for taking samples from the bottom boundary layer. The study will be done in collaboration with ISMAR-CNR and IDPA-CNR (organic compounds, trace and rare earth elements) research teams. In addition to the sampling of MDI site, a transect of surface samples from MDI to the Kronebreen Glacier will be performed. The use of an automatic water multisampler for environmental analysis designed by our team - integrated by an unmanned remote -controlled vehicle designed by ISSIA-CNR – will allow to take samples of seawater close to the glacier (for the first time). This device is able to fill up to eight sterile bottles, 250 ml each, under control of a specific microcomputer based on PC104 boards. The sampling operations can be pre-programmed as time dependent or remotely controlled. Finally, the same device will be programmed to perform sampling of fresh water (for microbiological studies) during a daily cycle (every 3 hours) in different lakes selected near Dirigibile Italia Station again in collaboration with ISSIA-CNR. In the same lakes temperature/light data loggers will be positioned, which will make continuous measurements for a year. This latter activity will be done in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome.
National/International Cooperation:
Marine Science institute (ISMAR-CNR); Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation performs research (ISSIA-CNR); Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes (IDPA-CNR); The Sapienza University of Rome.
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