Data from: Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds are potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation
Cite this dataset
Tait, Leigh et al. (2024). Data from: Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds are potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w6m905qwz
Abstract
Global models predict that Antarctica has little suitable habitat for macroalgae and that Antarctic macroalgae therefore make a negligible contribution to global carbon fixation. However, coastal surveys are rare at southern polar latitudes (beyond 71° S), and here we report diverse and abundant macroalgal assemblages in un-navigated coastal habitats of the Ross Sea from 71.5˚ – 74.5˚ S. We found extensive macroalgal assemblages living at depths >70 m and specimens of crustose coralline algae as deep as 125 m. Using global light modelling and published photosynthetic rates we estimate that Antarctic macroalgae may contribute between 0.9 – 2.8 % of global macroalgal carbon fixation. Combined, this suggests that Antarctic macroalgae may be a greater contributor to global carbon fixation and possibly sequestration than previously thought. The vulnerability of these coastal environments to climate change, especially shifting sea ice extent and persistence, could influence Southern Ocean carbon fixation and rates of long-term sequestration.
README: Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds are potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation
Data supporting the following manuscript "Deep-living and diverse Antarctic seaweeds as potentially important contributors to global carbon fixation"
*Leigh W. Tait, Caroline Chin, Wendy Nelson, Steve George, Peter Marriott, Richard L. O’Driscoll, Miles Lamare, Sadie Mills, Vonda J. Cummings
*[leigh.tait@niwa.co.nz]
Data includes estimates of abundance of seaweed taxa on the seafloor across the Northern Victoria Land coast, Ross Sea, Antarctica.
This includes:
- Metadata of video transects ["Antarctic_Seaweed_Metadata_TAN2101_TAN2302_Dryad.xlsx"]
- Seaweed density across transects ["Antarctic_Seaweeds_TAN2101_TAN2302.csv"]
- Modelled outputs of light attenuation across sites ["Light_transects_TAN2021_TAN2302.csv"]
Description
Antarctic_Seaweed_Metadata_TAN2101_TAN2302_Dryad
- Full geographic information associated with study sites. Data and metadata descriptions within
Antarctic_Seaweeds_TAN2101_TAN2302
-Station_no: numbered code given to the station
-Region: code of the region being surveyed [CA = Cape Adare, CH = Cape Hallet, PI = Possession Islands, RB = Robertsons Bay, WB = Wood Bay]
-Depth: Average depth of the video transect [m]
-Taxa: Broad taxonomic group of algae observed
-Abundance: number of individual thalli observed
-Area: Area of seafloor covered by video [m2]
-Density: Number of thalli per m2
Light_transects_TAN2021_TAN2302
-Region: Region assessed [Peninsula = West Antarctic Peninsula]
-Transect: Number of transect [1-2]
-Depth: Estimated water depth of cell [m]
-EBED: Photosynthetically active radiation at the seabed [mol m-2 day-1]
-PAR: Photosynthetically active radiation at the surface [mol m-2 day-1]
-KDPAR: Attenuation coefficient of light through the water
Description of the data and file structure
The data presented here come from towed-camera transects of the seafloor in the Northern Victoria Land region of the Ross Sea, Antarctica.
At depths between 40-250 m towed camera transects were used to analyse the abundance of attached seaweeds. The metadata of stations examined, and average density of multiple seaweed functional groups at stations. In addition, the outputs of light attenuation modelling are provided.
Files:
"Antarctic_Seaweed_Metadata_TAN2101_TAN2302_Dryad.xlsx"
"Antarctic_Seaweeds_TAN2101_TAN2302.csv"
"Light_transects_TAN2021_TAN2302.csv"
"Antarctic_Seaweed_RScript_Tait_etal_2024.txt"
Descriptions:
"Antarctic_Seaweed_Metadata_TAN2101_TAN2302_Dryad.xlsx" - Metadata of video transects, date and time, locations, gear, depth, distance covered.
"Antarctic_Seaweeds_TAN2101_TAN2302.csv" - Density of seaweed functional groups across video transects
"Light_transects_TAN2021_TAN2302.csv" - Outputs of light modelling for seafloor regions of the Ross Sea
"Antarctic_Seaweed_RScript_Tait_etal_2024.txt" - R sripts used to plot, analyse and model the above datasets
Sharing/Access information
Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data and code:
Data (Light_transects...) was derived from the following sources:
Funding
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Award: ANTA1801, Antarctic Science Platform