Biology of Salpa thompsoni in waters adjacent to the Ross Sea, Southern Ocean, during austral summer 2008

Depth-stratified vertical sampling was carried out during the New Zealand International Polar Year cruise to the Ross Sea on board the RV Tangaroa in February March 2008. The distribution (horizontal and vertical), density and population biology of Salpa thompsoni were investigated. Salps were found at two of the four major sampling locations, e.g. near the continental slope of the Ross Sea and in the vicinity of seamounts to the north of the Ross Sea. Both abundance and biomass of S. thompsoni were highest near the seamounts in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current reaching similar to 2,500 ind 1,000 m(-3) and 8.2 g dry wt 1,000 m(-3) in the water column sampled. The data showed that S. thompsoni populations were able to utilize horizontal and vertical discontinuities in water column structure, in particular the warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW), to persist in the high Antarctic. Although salps appeared to continue migrating to the surface colder layers to feed, both aggregate chain and young embryo release seem to be restricted to the CDW. This study for the first time has provided evidence that low Antarctic salp species may successfully reproduce in the hostile high Antarctic realm.