Only studies, carried out Saromako Lgoon, one of lagoons along the Okhotsk Sea, clearly demonstrated the massive development of ice algae every year (Taguchi et al., 1994).
There occurs not many herbivorous animals utilizing ice algae directly in the water column in Saromako Lagoon. Therefore most of organic materials could be utilized by benthos in the lagoon because of shallow water depths such as 8 m in the maximum. Scallop hanging culture conducted extensively in the lagoon could possibly create a unique situation, and could give effects onto herbivorous animals in the water, too.
4. Two ways of production enhancements by seasonal sea ice
Possible enhancing effects of sea ice onto primary production in the 0khotsk Sea can be schematically shown in Fig. 3 in comparison with the neighborhood sea without sea ice. Under the condition with seasonal sea ice, ice algal community developing in the late winter could supply organic matter to the ecosystem (1st effect of sea ice), and the following ice edge
phytoplankton bloom during the receding ice edge could supply another organic matter to the ecosystem (2nd effect of sea ice). The first effect could occur almost simultaneously with a little time differences geographically and could last a rather long period of time such as several months in the entire Okhotsk Sea, but the 2nd effect is given a short period of time such as a week at different time period with locations due to the receding ice edge.
5. References
Alexander, V., 1980: Interrelationships between the seasonal sea ice and biological regimes. Cold Regions Sci. Tech, 2,157-178.
Saitoh, S., M. Kishino, H. Kiyofuji, S, Taguchi and M. Takahashi, 1996: Seasonal variability of phytoplankton pigment concentration in the Okhotsk Sea. J. Remote Sensing Soc. Japan 16,86-92.
Shirasawa, K., M. Ikeda, M. Ishikawa, S. Mochizuki, T. Takatsuka, M. Aota and Y. Fujiyoshi, 1995: Meteorological observation data report for Saroma-ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, January 1993 - November 1995 Low Temp. Sci., Ser. A 54, Data Report, pp.19-80.
Smith, W. 0. Jr. and E. Sakshaug, 1990: Polar phytoplankton. In Polar 0ceanography, Part
B: Chemistry, Biology, and Geology (ed. W. O.Smith, Jr.) pp.477-525, Academic Press, New York.
Taguchi, S., Demers, S., Fortier, L., Fortier, M., Fujiyoshi, Y., Hattori, H., Kasai, H., Kishino, M,, Kudoh, S., Legendre, L., McGiness, F., Michel, C., Sime-Ngando, Robineau, B., Saito, H., Suzuki, Y., Takahashi, M., Therriault, J,.C., Aota, M., Ikeda, M., Ishikawa, M., Takatsuka, T., and Shirasawa, K., 1994: Biological data report for the Saroma-ko site of the SARES (Saroma Resolute Studies) project, February-March, 1992, Low Temp. Sci. Ser. A. 53,67-163.
Walsh, J. J. and C. P. McRoy, 1986: Ecosystem analysis in the southeastern Bering Sea. Cont. Shelf Res., 5,259 288.
