Southern Ocean Group

The Southern Ocean Group is concerned with fundamental research on the biological oceanography of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic realms.

Personnel

Professor PW Froneman - Director

Professor CD McQuaid - Scientist

Mrs V Meaton - Technician

Research

The Southern Ocean Group is an extremely active and productive research group based at the Department of Zoology and Entomology. The group is involved in a five-year program on biological oceanography at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands in collaboration with a physical oceanographic research group at the University of Cape Town. The main thrust examines links between planktonic food production/availability and land-based predators (mostly seals and penguins) on the islands. This provides information on variability in the ecosystem to managers of the islands. A second thrust investigates the biology of krill in Antarctic waters. The group has strong collaborative links with Scandinavian and other European research groups.

Ongoing projects

Biogeography of the Southern Ocean

Control of phytoplankton production

Mesozooplankton distribution and grazing

Macrozooplankton grazing and carnivory

Identifying the trophic position of zooplankton using isotope analysis

Interactions between the island ecosystem and frontal systems

Population genetics of Antarctic krill

Eco-physiology of marine invertebrates

Some recent publications

McQuaid CD, Froneman PW. (2008) Biology in the oceanographic environment In: The Prince Edward Islands: Land Sea Interactions in a changing ecosystem. Eds. SL Chown, PW Froneman. African SunMedia, Stellenbosch. South Africa. Pp 97-120.

Smith VA, Froneman PW (2008) Nutrient dynamics in the vicinity of the Prince Edward Islands: The Prince Edward Islands: Land Sea Interactions in a changing ecosystem. Eds. SL Chown, PW Froneman. African SunMedia, Stellenbosch. South Africa. Pp 165-179.

Chown SL, Froneman PW (2008). The Prince Edward Islands in a global context. In: The Prince Edward Islands: Land Sea Interactions in a changing ecosystem. Eds. SL Chown, PW Froneman. African SunMedia, Stellenbosch. South Africa. Pp 1-16.

Chown SL, Froneman PW (2008). Change in terrestrial and marine systems. In: The Prince Edward Islands: Land Sea Interactions in a changing ecosystem. Eds SL Chown, PW Froneman. African SunMedia, Stellenbosch. South Africa. Pp 351-372.

Bernard KS, Froneman PW (2009). The sub-Antarctic thecosome pteropod, Limacina retroversa: distribution patterns and trophic role. Deep-Sea Research I 56: 582-598

Froneman PW, Ansorge IJ, Richoux N et al. (2007). Physical and biological processes at the Subtropical Convergence in the southwest Indian Ocean. South African Journal of Science 103: 199-203.

Richoux, NB, Froneman PW (2009). Plankton trophodynamics at the Subtropical Convergence, Southern Ocean. Journal of Plankton Research 31: 1059-1073

Lombard AT, Reyers B, Schonegevel L, Cooper J, Smith-Adao L, Nel D, Froneman PW, Ansorge IJ, Bester M, Tosh C, Struass T, Akkers T, Gon O, Leslie R, Chown S. (2007). Developing the Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected area (MPA). Antarctic Science 19: 39-54.

Bernard ATF Ansorge IJ, Froneman PW, Bernard KS, Lutjeharms JRE (2007). Entrainment of Antarctic euphausiids into the Sub-antarctic by a cold eddy. Deep-Sea Research I doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2007.06.06