MARE researchers in Antarctica study phytoplankton communities
With the aim of understanding the changes in the composition of the phytoplankton community in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, MARE researchers Afonso Ferreira and Graça Sofia Limeira are on board an oceanographic ship, as part of a group of around 20 scientists from Brazil. 
PHYTO-SHIFT, coordinated by researcher Ana Brito, is the name of the project the researchers are working on, which aims to understand the composition and size structure of the Antarctic Peninsula and how they vary in the context of climate change.
From January 25 to February 20, the researchers will work in the northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula, including the Bransfield and Gerlache straits, and south of the Drake Passage, using data collected on board the Almirante Maximiano Polar Vessel, belonging to the Brazilian Navy, during the austral summer. This opportunity arises from the synergy between the PHYTO-SHIFT project and the Brazilian project ImpactANT, led by the Federal University of Rio Grande, in Brazil, which aims to study and monitor the marine ecosystems of the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
The organisms present in the phytoplankton samples collected will be identified and classified using microscopic observation, distinguishing them based on their physical characteristics. In addition, the pigments, such as chlorophyll-a, present in the organisms will be identified using methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography. A comparison will also be made with data from NASA's new satellite, PACE, launched in 2024, in order to test its use for studying the composition of phytoplankton from space. In this way, researchers will be able to get a global and specific view of the phytoplankton communities in that region of Antarctica and thus better understand the functions of phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems.
The PHYTO-SHIFT project is part of the PROPOLAR 2024-2025 Antarctic Campaign, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) - Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI), through the Portuguese Polar Program (PROPOLAR). The ImpactANT project is funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT).
Follow the researchers' logbook HERE
(text by Vera Sequeira and Afonso Ferreira)