The Palmer LTER: A Long-Term Ecological Research Program at Palmer Station, Antarctica

Abstract

THE ANTARCTIC marine ecosystem--the assemblage of plants, animals, ocean, sea ice, and island components south of the Antarctic Convergence-is among the largest readily defined ecosystems on Earth (36 106 knl ~) This ecosystem is composed of an interconnected system of functionally distinct hydrographic and biogeochemical subdivisions Oceanic, atmospheric, and biogeochemical processes within this system are thought to be globally significant, have been infrequently studied, and are poorly understood relative to more accessible marine ecosystems (Harris and Stonehouse, 1991; The Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (Palmer LTER) area west of the Antarctic Peninsula (Fig. The Palmer LTER program is a