Diatom lipids: the key to past sea-ice history in remote Antarctic regions

Past Antarctic sea-ice conditions are poorly characterised, so little is known of the seasonal sea-ice variation and the position of the summer sea-ice extent prior to the satellite record; parameters critical to determining air-sea gas exchange and ecosystem food web regulation. By using unique molecular, geochemical, elemental and genomic characteristics of specific marine phytoplankton (diatoms), the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of seasonal sea-ice extent. These multidisciplinary approaches applied to diatom biomarkers in deep sea cores from Australia’s Southern Ocean, will redefine our knowledge of past Antarctic climate and provides fundamental data necessary to improve global ecosystem and climate models.