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

People

• 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 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 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

Last Modified: Thu, 17 May 2018 14:31:43 SAST