Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

POPULATION OF KRILL AND OTHER PELAGIC COMPONENTS OF ATLANTIC PART OF ANTARCTICA AND EVOLUTION OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THESE CHANGES AND EARTH CHANGES  (Marine Antarctic ecosystem)

Outline
Until recently interest to an Antarctic zone of World Ocean determined of a capability to whaling. Sharp reduction of number of whales and needs for animal protein have forced to involve in fishing of other biological objects and first of all - Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba Dana). Its high alimentary qualities, capability of obtaining of a number of valuable drugs (in particular chitozan), large resources have predetermined soul interest to krill. On the other hand krill is a basis of existence of all higher trophic levels of a unique Antarctic ecosystem. The ecosystem of Antarctic Region is rather sensitive to negative impact of the anthropogenic and natural factors. The destruction of whales in 20th century does not reduce in expected increase of abundance of krill. Small-size competitors (penguins, fish, squids, seals and Minke whales) have held a food niche of large whiskered of whales. Thus volume of consumable krill has exceeded a general ration of whales more than in 2 times (Low, 1985). On assessments of the experts (Mihalev, 2005) regeneration of abundance of whales (and that not of all species) can take place only in 50-100 years. The fluctuations of krill stock are stipulated by success of recruitment both intensity carry-over of larva’s and adult animals from a basis of a geographic range by flows, which are caused by the conforming atmospheric processes (Samyshev, 1991, 2002). Per the last decades the situation is aggravated by omnipresent increasing entry salps in a geographic range of krill (Pakhomov et al., 2002). The serious changes in the Antarctic ecosystem are caused global warming of a climate, shift of polar fronts and main flows of continental outskirts (Artamonov 2005). Salps are the potentially food competitors of krill and others heterotrophes. The definite enough representation about a functional role (food needs) other components, switching krill, is present already (Samyshev, 1991, 2002). These items of information are circumscribed and are discordant in the attitude of salps. By preliminary outcomes of experimental researches on the Ukrainian expedition of 2002 the intensity of metabolism of Antarctic salps is more than on the order above, than for krill (Minkina, Samyshev, 2004). The conducting of field researches on definition of abundance of gelatinous hydrobionts and detection of depth of their entry in a geographic range of krill and experiments on single definition of all main energy parameters for salps (ration, metabolism, accretion and not acquired part of nutrition) is necessary for determination of a functional role of salps in an ecosystem of Antarctic Region and for the prognosis of its transformation. On the other hand, the main regions of a reproduction of krill are necessary on the Antarctic shallow water, which though traditionally concern to the most productive regions, but is least studied. Our precursor researches have shown that the trophic structure of a coastal ecosystem in region bases on two principal components. It are krill and sublittoral macrozoobenthos (fish, amphipods and antarctic limpet). Unfortunately, these components of a marine ecosystem are least investigated. The analysis makes these least investigated components are an integral part of the project. At last, the scale of descending changes in the Antarctic ecosystem demands the conforming approach to conducting of its researches. It is a spanning by biooceanographic researches probably of greater offshore water (zone of krill reproduction and development), which includes miscellaneous water masses. These researches take into account a geographic range of krill and salps, and cover of all major biological components of an ecosystem. The researches should wear all-the-year-round. Only such approach will allow is justified to estimate a state of an ecosystem and direction of its changes at the present stage. The performance of complex biooceanographic researches (oceanographic survey) in traditional (model) regions under the accepted earlier scheme of stations in a season 2007-2008 for obtaining the comparable data is expedient. In this season the Russian scientists repute to carry out researches on several polygons in the Cosmonaut Sea and Commonwealth Sea. The joint gains of two countries will allow quasi-synchronously to envelop by observations greater offshore water of Austral ocean and to receive a unique material about a state of biological and oceanographic fields in distinguishing on climatic and orographic conditions areas of Antarctic Region. In the process of oenological surveys the standard oceanographic observations, trawl-hydroacoustic count of krill and salps, collecting of biological material (phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and measurement of their production, micro-, mezzo- and macroplankton, krii, salps, fish, phyto- and zoobenthos, count of sea birds and mammalian) are fulfilled. Experimental researches of a ration and its parameters (metabolism, accretion) for salps are fulfilled onboard a vessel. Fulfillment similar on sense and methodical base of a sampling of information of base components of a marine ecosystem during in zones of krill reproductions (coastal waters) all year (wintering on Ukrainian Antarctic station Academik Vernadsky) is by a necessary runtime environment of the projects.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
1. The complete representation about modern structure of pelagic and coastal ecosystems of model Antarctic regions and laws of seasonal and interannual variability in a krill population and in all ecosystems as a whole, including under impact of global climatic factors will be received. 2. Will be a given estimation to modern state of krill population, its resources, and their replenishment and possible of fishing of an adult part of krill population, localization of its commercial accumulation. 3. Will be conducted the collecting, processing and analysis of materials, which describe a state of populations of mass species and indicator species (krill, amphipods, fish). Their population grouping will be detected, their life cycles, main features of biology, production and other ecological characteristics are studied. 4. The evaluation to a modern state of krill stocks and possible fishing, localization of its trade swarming will be given. 5. The gap in comprehension of a functional role poorly studied components (salps, bacteria, infusorians, zooflagellates and benthos) in the Antarctic marine ecosystem at miscellaneous its states will be filled. 6. The detection of predictors of the forecast of a state of a krill population and marine ecosystem as a whole will be as practical corollary of researches 7. The results of balance accounts and evaluation of a functional role of components of pelagic (coastal) ecosystem will be used as the basis to detection and characteristic of transformation, with descending in it. The obtained information will be shown in the uniform database, which can be applied for detection of trends of variability of miscellaneous types, for an evaluation of a payment of pelagic (coastal) ecosystems in common productivity and procreation of biological resources in regions. Hydroacoustic method of the count of salps and the methods of research of intensity of an exchange at salps with usage of the data them on biochemical structure will be designed, will be used and will be offered to introduction during realization of researches. The given project is by an integral part of the State Program of Studies of Ukraine in Antarctic Region and completely corresponds to ?PY purposes and problems.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
International character of the project is instituted: Strategic relevant (from the point of view of biological production) geographic position of region of studies; Complete coincidence of the purposes and problems of the project with problems of international ecological monitoring of Antarctic ecosystems; Usage international methods of the collecting, of processing and analysis of the biological information. The international cooperation will be realized through information exchange, which one is carried out through NASC of Ukraine.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The Antarctic harbors area, in which Ukraine traditionally will carry out field researches, are offered as model regions for researches. These harbors area on the geographical conditions are important for creation of biological productivity of Antarctic Region as a whole. Area Scotia Sea (in borders 55-65°S and 60-25°W); Region of a western part of a Bransfild channel; Islands of the Argentina Archipelago (UAS Academik Vernadsky)

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 01/2007. – 03/2008.            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
1. Complex marine expedition on the conforming vessel; 2. Wintering of 1-2 hydrobiologists on the UAS Academik Vernadsky; 3. Seasonal researches. Logistic support consists of forming of a resource base both supply of expeditions and delivery of loads on UAS and back in Ukraine (in particular of collected fixed samples).

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
1. National laboratory of hydrobiological monitoring on UAS Academik Vernadsky 2. Shown base of the primary data, which adapted to international formats.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
National agency

The logistics support and communal manual of the project comes true a National Antarctic scientific centre of Ministry of education and science of Ukraine

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
As integrate problem of the State program of studies of Ukraine in Antarctic Region

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The Project is logical prolongation of national studies of Ukraine in region (1997-1998; 2002-2003 and 2005-2006).

How will the project be organised and managed?
The common manual of the project carries out a National Antarctic centre of science (NASC) of Ministry of education and science of Ukraine. The researches will be realized on the research vessel and UAS. Cruises are conducted annually with 2007 on 2008 in the specified modeling regions, duration 4 months in each season. The variant of realization of researches in the winter season is not excluded at favorable climatic conditions. The wintering on the UAS Academik Vernadsky will be carried out with the purpose of obtaining a regular state information of a marine Antarctic ecosystem, detection of main legitimacies of its steady existence and functioning, trends of seasonal, perennial variability and levels of variability under impact natural and anthropogenic factors, evaluation of a role of the separate factors in creation of biological and recreational resources of region. The Ukrainian party directs to each expedition of the competent experts (oceanologists and biologists) number 10-16 persons (1-2 scientists in seasonal and wintering researches). The evaluation of a modern state of marine ecosystems of Antarctic Region, features of their functioning in conditions of global climatic changes for building scientific-methodical bases of conservation of their biological diversify, stable existence and rational usage is an overall aims of our researches. According to priorities, which are by modern representations about functioning of marine ecosystems of Antarctic Region, the offered complex of researches is directed on study of a functional role of all basic components of ecosystems. The achievement of the specified aims assumes the decision of the following problems: 1. Study climatic (hydrometeorological and oceanographic) conditions of existence and functioning of a marine biota. 2. Study of structure and dynamics of oceanographic fields, forecast of their evolution. Study of the biological characteristics, population structure and distribution of krill in modeling regions of researches. An evaluation of krill stocks and their recruitment on the establishment of complex researches on population and biocenoses levels. 3. Study of structure, allocation, abundance and production of a phytoplankton. 4. Study of abundance and biosynthetic activity of a bacterioplankton. 5. Study of a functional role of a protozoooplankton. 6. The collecting of materials for an evaluation of the contents of the weighting organic matter and velocity it sedimentation. 7. Study of structure, abundance and distribution of mezo- and macroplankton (switching on salps), fish and benthos. 8. Improvement of methods of the acoustic quantitative count of salps and krill. 9. Study of the energetic characteristics of mass species (metabolism, ration) and evaluation of their functional role in an ecosystem. 10. Study of structure, abundance and distribution of ichtyoplankton. 11. Visual count of sea birds and mammalian as most numerous krill consumers. 12. System analysis biological and oceanographic dates on the basis of the balance approach and mathematical models, detection of predictors of a state of pelagic ecosystems and forecast of stores of krill.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The international contacts will be realized through information exchange, which one is carried out through NASC of Ukraine.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
The obtained information will be shown in the united database, which one can be applied for eliciting trends of variability of miscellaneous types, for an assessment of a fee of pelagic and coastal ecosystems in communal output and procreation of biological resources in Antarctic regions.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Public finance of Ukraine. The baseline financing comes true through a National Antarctic scientific centre. Partial financing comes true through National Academies of Sciences (NASU).

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Original three coordinate seismographs with sensitivity up to 60 HZ for an assessment of seismic circumstances can be designed by a department of automation of MHI.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Valery Litvinov
National Antarctic centre of science (NASC) of Ministry of education and science of Ukraine
16, T. Shevtshenko ave.
16001
UKRAINE

Tel: 38 (044) 246-38-10
Mobile: no
Fax: 380-044-246-38-10
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation