Workshop to Synthesize Research Priorities in the McMurdo Sound-Ross Sea Region, Antarctica

H.T. Harvey & Associates, Los Gatos CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Antarctic freshwater-based ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is one of the most completely studied ecosystems in Antarctic due to establishment of a Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) program. A very well studied marine ecosystem in the Antarctic is that of McMurdo Sound and the immediately adjacent southwestern Ross Sea. This is the result of several decades of research in the vicinity by three national research programs (the United States, New Zealand and Italy), including in-depth studies of circulation, sea ice variability, nutrient availability, primary productivity and algal composition, composition and productivity of the epontic community, benthic community organization, ecophysiology of fish, birds and seals, and the demography of resident seal and bird populations. A number of efforts have extended long enough through time to have assessed the long-term, decadal and interannual variability in circulation, sea ice and seals and bird demography, and benthic community composition; significant decadal and interannual signals have been identified. Despite this effort and the collection of ecological knowledge, a number of components and their linkages within the food web of McMurdo Sound remain poorly known. This workshop will examine the portfolio of past research and current understanding in order to prioritize research themes for the upcoming decades. In addition, the workshop will also examine the feasibility and value of establishing an LTER program in the vicinity of McMurdo to address deficiencies and to fully understand the critical interactions among ecosystem components so as to be able to predict ecological variations that are driven by large-scale changes in physical forcing (e.g., circulation, climate) as well as top-down forcing. The broader impacts of education and public outreach will be addressed in discussions. A McMurdo Sound LTER program would complement the LTER program already in operation in the western Antarctic Peninsula (Palmer LTER). Moreover, a McMurdo Sound LTER would take advantage of the substantial logistic and scientific resources available through the McMurdo Station Crary Lab and USAP personnel. To assess the feasibility and challenges of initiating an LTER program for McMurdo Sound, the workshop will both polar and non-polar scientists, with discipline and regional expertise. Also, attendees will include scientists from underrepresented groups and scientists from the international community. The results of the workshop will be disseminated broadly via a website.