The Australian Marine Quaternary Program is a loose association of researchers who visited the Geology Department (now called Department of Earth and Marine Sciences) at the Australian National University (ANU) since approximately 1990, when Patrick De Deckker took on the charter to work on the marine Quaternary record of the Australasian region as part of a new initiative in the Geology Department. This resource provides a list of theses and papers published in international and national refereed journals by those associated with the group.

Genetic techniques were employed to investigate the archaeal, bacterial and eukaryotic communities associated with the Antarctic sponges Kirkpatrickia varialosa, Latrunculia apicalis, Homaxinella balfourensis, Mycale acerata and Sphaerotylus antarcticus. The sponges and seawater for the analyses were obtained from sites in McMurdo Sound: adjacent to McMurdo Station (MM), Scott Base (SB) and Cape Armitage (CA).Rarefaction analysis was performed to determine the number of unique bacterial clones as a proportion of the estimated total diversity.Archaeal PCR product was not detected from seawater, H. balfourensis or S. antarcticus samples. 150 archaeal clones (50 each from L. apicalis, K. varialosa, and M. acerata ) were screened by RFLP analysis, 4 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) wre observed. RFLP analysis screened 250 sponge-derived bacterial clones, 61 were unique OTUs not detected during examination of 160 seawater-derived clones and were subsequently sequenced for phylogenetic determination. Of the 160 seawater bacterial clones, 103 exhibited unique banding patterns, creating distinct seawater operational taxonomic units (OTUs).The phylogenetic affiliation of sponge-derived bacteria was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing of cloned DNA fragments. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to determine the profiles of 18S rRNA-defined eukaryotic populations from replicate sponge specimens at the 3 Antarctic sites. Samples analysed by DGGE were K. varialosa (K), L. apicalis (L), M. acerata (M) and seawater (SW). 2-4 replicates were used per sample type.Neighbour-joining phylogenetic trees were formed from analysis of: 889 bp of 16S rRNA gene sequence from Antarctic archaeal clones 1-4; 857 bp of 16S rRNA gene sequence from Antarctic bacterial clones; and 304 bp of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence retrieved from DGGE. Branches were also found using the Fitch-Margoliash or maximum parsimony methods.The bacterial communities associated with Antarctic sponges primarily clustered within the Gamma and Alpha proteobacteria and the Cytophaga/Flavobacterium of Bacteroidetes group.GenBank Accession Numbers were assigned to: 4 unique Antarctic archaeal sequences detected in M. acerata (AY320198, AY320199, AY320200, AY320201). The study aimed to describe the microbial species composition, the stability of the host-bacterium associations and the spatial variability in sponge-derived microbial communities. 54 sponge-derived unique bacterial clones which produced suitable sequence data for phylogenetic analysis, GenBank Accession Numbers in brackets (AY321378, AY321379, AY321380, AY321381, AY321382, AY321383, AY321384, AY321385, AY321386, AY321387, AY321388, AY321389, AY321390, AY321391, AY321392, AY321393, AY321394, AY321395, AY321396, AY321397, AY321398, AY321399, AY321400, AY321401, AY321402, AY321403, AY321404, AY321405, AY321406, AY321407, AY321408, AY321409, AY321410, AY321411, AY321412, AY321413, AY321414, AY321415, AY321416, AY321417, AY321418, AY321419, AY321420, AY321421, AY321422, AY321423, AY321424, AY321425, AY321426, AY321427, AY321428, AY321429, AY321430, AY321431, AY321432); 10 bands for which high quality eukaryotic sequence data was obtained (AY320202, AY320203, AY320204, AY320205, AY320206, AY320207, AY320208, AY320209, AY320210, AY320211); and high-quality sequences for 19 bacterial bands (AY320212, AY320213, AY320214, AY320215, AY320216, AY320217, AY320218, AY320219, AY320220, AY320221, AY320222, AY320223, AY320224, AY320225, AY320226, AY320227, AY320228, AY320229, AY320230).

This dataset comprises of an excel spreadsheet of data collected on the CLIVAR-SR3 cruise in November to December 2001. The spreadsheet contains plankton and carbon data. From the abstract of the referenced publication: Variations of phytoplankton assemblages were studied in November-December 2001, in surface waters of the Southern Ocean along a transect between the Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ) and the Seasonal Ice Zone (SIZ; 46.9-64.9 degrees S; 142-143 degrees E; CLIVAR-SR3 cruise). Two regions had characteristic but different phytoplankton assemblages. Nanoflagellates (less than 20 microns) and pico-plankton (~2 microns) occurred in similar concentrations along the transect, but were dominant in the SAZ, Sub-Antarctic Front (SAF), Polar Front Zone (PFZ) and the Inter-Polar Front Zone (IPFZ), (46.9-56.9 degrees S). Along the entire transect their average cell numbers in the upper 70 m of water column, varied from 300,000 to 1,100,000 cells per litre. Larger cells (greater than 20 microns), diatoms and dinoflagellates, were more abundant in the Antarctic Zone-South (AZ-S) and the SIZ (60.9-64.9 degrees S). In AZ-S and SIZ diatoms ranged between 270,000 and 1,200,000 cells per litre, dinoflagellates from 31,000 to 102,000 cells per litre. A diatom bloom was in progress in the AZ-S showing a peak of 1,800,000 cells per litre. Diatoms were dominated by Pseudo-nitzschia spp., Fragilariopsis spp., and Chaetoceros spp. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. outnumbered other diatoms in the AZ-S. Fragilariopsis spp. were most numerous in the SIZ. Dinoflagellates contained autotrophs (eg Prorocentrum) and heterotrophs (Gyrodinium/Gymnodinium, Protoperidinium). Diatoms and dinoflagellates contributed most to the cellular carbon: 11-25 and 17-124 micrograms of carbon per litre, respectively. Small cells dominated in the northern region characterised by the lowest N-uptake and new production of the transect. Larger diatom cells were prevalent in the southern area with higher values of N-uptake and new production. Diatom and nanoflagellate cellular carbon contents were highly correlated with one another, with primary production, and productivity related parameters. They contributed up to 75% to the total autotrophic C biomass. Diatom carbon content was significantly correlated to nitrate uptake and particle export, but not to ammonium uptake, while flagellate carbon was well correlated to ammonium uptake, but not to export. Diatoms have contributed highly to particle export along the latitudinal transect, while flagellates played a minor role in the export. This work was completed as part of ASAC project 1343 (ASAC_1343). The fields in this dataset are: Station (depth, position, date, comments) Species Cells per millilitre cell carbon - micrograms per litre

The collection aims to showcase the range of Southern Ocean diatom species found in the major hydrological provinces of the Australian Sector of the Southern Ocean along the 140 degrees E. The collection includes specimens collected in the Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ), Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ) and Antarctic Zone (AZ). Samples were collected with McLane Parflux time series sediment traps placed at several depths in the SAZ (47 degrees S site), PFZ (54 degrees S site) and AZ and (61 degrees S site) during the decade 1997-2007. The shortest sampling intervals were eight days and corresponded with the austral summer and autumn, whereas the longest interval was 60 days and corresponded with austral winter. Split aliquots were obtained for taxonomic analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For improved taxonomic imaging, samples were treated with hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide to remove carbonates and organic matter, respectively. A micropipette was used to transfer the suspension of selected samples to a round-glass cover slip following standard decantation method outlined by Barcena and Abrantes (1998). Samples were air-dried and coated with gold for SEM analysis. SEM analysis was carried out using a JEOL 6480LV scanning electron microscope. Taxonomy Diatoms include all algae from the Class Bacillariophyceae and follow the standardised taxonomy of World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Order Asterolamprales Family Asterolampraceae Asteromphalus hookeri Ehrenberg Asteromphalus hyalinus Karsten Order Achnanthales Family Cocconeidaceae Cocconeis sp. Order Bacillariales Family Bacillariaceae Fragilariopsis curta (Van Heurck) Hustedt Fragilariopsis cylindrus (Grunow) Krieger Fragilariopsis kerguelensis (O'Meara) Hustedt Fragilariopsis pseudonana (Hasle) Hasle Fragilariopsis rhombica (O'Meara) Hustedt Fragilariopsis separanda Hustedt Nitzschia bicapitata Cleve Nitzschia kolaczeckii Grunow Nitzschia sicula (Castracane) Husted var. bicuneata (Grunow) Hasle Nitzschia sicula (Castracane) Husted var. rostrata Hustedt Pseudo-nitzschia heimii Manguin Pseudo-nitzschia lineola (Cleve) Hasle Pseudo-nitzschia turgiduloides Hasle Order Chaetocerotanae incertae sedis Family Chaetoceraceae Chaetoceros aequatorialis var. antarcticus Cleve Chaetoceros atlanticus Cleve Chaetoceros dichaeta Ehrenberg Chaetoceros peruvianus Brightwell Chaetoceros sp. Order Corethrales Family Corethraceae Corethron spp. Order Coscinodiscales Family Coscinodiscaceae Stellarima stellaris (Roper) Hasle et Sims Family Hemidiscaceae Actinocyclus sp. Azpeitia tabularis (Grunow) Fryxell et Sims Hemidiscus cuneiformis Wallich Roperia tesselata (Roper) Grunow Order Hemiaulales Family Hemiaulaceae Eucampia antarctica (Castracane) Mangin Order Naviculales Family Plagiotropidaceae Tropidoneis group Family Naviculaceae Navicula directa (Smith) Ralfs Family Pleurosigmataceae Pleurosigma sp. Order Rhizosoleniales Family Rhizosoleniaceae Dactyliosolen antarcticus Castracane Rhizosolenia antennata f. semispina Sundstrom Rhizosolenia antennata (Ehrenberg) Brown f. antennata Rhizosolenia cf. costata Gersonde Rhizosolenia polydactyla Castracane f. polydactyla Rhizosolenia simplex Karsten Proboscia alata (Brightwell) Sundstrom Proboscia inermis (Castracane) Jordan Ligowski Order Thalassiosirales Family Thalassiosiraceae Porosira pseudodenticulata (Hustedt) Jouse Thalassiosira ferelineata Hasle et Fryxell Thalassiosira gracilis (Karsten) Hustedt Thalassiosira lentiginosa (Janisch) Fryxell Thalassiosira oestrupii (Ostenfeld) Hasle var. oestrupii Fryxell et Hasle Thalassiosira oliveriana (O'Meara) Makarova et Nikolaev Thalassiosira tumida (Janisch) Hasle Order Thalassionematales Family Thalassionemataceae Thalassionema nitzschioides var. lanceolatum Grunow Thalassiothrix antarctica Schimper ex Karsten Data available: 73 SEM images of the most abundant diatom species found at the three sampling sites. Samples were collected by several sediment traps placed at different depths in