Abstract: COCHISE (Cosmological Observations at Concordia with High-sensitivity Instrument for Source Extraction) is a 2.6 m telescope located on the high Antarctic Plateau near the Italian–French Concordia Base. The telescope is mainly devoted to Cosmological observations, able to operate between 200 μm and 3 mm of wavelength. In this paper we describe the main characteristics of the instrument. We also report on the first light, obtained during summer 2010–2011: this result marks the beginning of millimetre astrophysical observations at Concordia. Responsivity, noise equivalent temperature and field of view of the instrument are reported. At present COCHISE is the largest telescope located at Concordia. Beside the scientific expectations, the use of this kind of instrument in the Antarctic environment poses technological aspects of relevant interest: thus COCHISE can be considered as a pathfinder for future Antarctic telescopes.

Abstract: With climate change, the strong seasonality and tight pelagic-benthic coupling in the Arctic is expected to change in the next few decades. It is currently unclear how the benthos will be affected by changes of environmental conditions such as supplies of organic matter (OM) from the water column. In the last decade, Kongsfjorden (79°N), a high Arctic fjord in Svalbard influenced by several glaciers and Atlantic water inflow, has been a site of great interest owing to its high sensitivity to climate change, evidenced by a reduction in ice cover and an increase in melting freshwater. To investigate how spatial and seasonal changes in vertical fluxes can impact the benthic compartment of Kongsfjorden, we studied the organic matter characteristics (in terms of quantity and quality) and prokaryotic distribution in sediments from 3 stations along a transect extending from the glacier into the outer fjord in 4 different seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) in 2012–2013. The biochemical parameters used to describe the sedimentary organic matter were organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen, bulk stable isotope ratios, pigments (chorophyll-a and phaeopigments) and biopolymeric carbon (BPC), which is the sum of the main macromolecules, i.e. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. Prokaryotic abundance and distribution were estimated by 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. This study identifies a well-marked quantitative gradient of biogenic compounds throughout all seasons and also highlights a discrepancy between the quantity and quality of sedimentary organic matter within the fjord. The sediments near the glacier were organic-poor (<0.3%OC), however the high primary productivity in the water column displayed during spring was reflected in summer sediments, and exhibited higher freshness of material at the inner station compared to the outer basin (means C-chlorophyll-a/OC ~5 and 1.5%, respectively). However, sediments at the glacier front were depleted in BPC (~0.2–0.3mgCg−1DW) by 4.5 and 9 times compared to sediments from the inner and outer stations. δ13C values in sedimentary organic matter of Kongsfjorden varied between −23.8 and −19.3‰ and reflected distinct sources of organic matter between basins. Bacterial total cell numbers in sediments of Kongsfjorden were <2×108cellsml−1 and the prokaryotic community structure was strongly influenced by the marked environmental biogenic gradients. Overall, the spatial variability prevailed over the seasonal variability in sediments of Kongsfjorden suggesting that glacier inputs prominently control the functioning of this benthic ecosystem and its communities. Regional index terms: Norway, Svalbard, Kongsfjorden.

Abstract: Arctic fjords experience extremely pronounced seasonal variability and spatial heterogeneity associated with changes in ice cover, glacial retreat and the intrusion of continental shelf’s adjacent water masses. Global warming intensifies natural environmental variability on these important systems, yet the regional and global effects of these processes are still poorly understood. In the present study, we examine seasonal and spatial variability in Kongsfjorden, on the western coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. We report hydrological, biological, and biogeochemical data collected during spring, summer, and fall 2012. Our results show a strong phytoplankton bloom with the highest chlorophyll a (Chla) levels ever reported in this area, peaking 15.5µg/L during late May and completely dominated by large diatoms at the inner fjord, that may sustain both pelagic and benthic production under weakly stratified conditions at the glacier front. A progressively stronger stratification of the water column during summer and fall was shaped by the intrusion of warm Atlantic water (T>3°C and Sal>34.65) into the fjord at around 100m depth, and by turbid freshwater plumes (T<1°C and Sal<34.65) at the surface due to glacier meltwater input. Biopolymeric carbon fractions and isotopic signatures of the particulate organic material (POM) revealed very fresh and labile material produced during the spring bloom (13C enriched, with values up to −22.7‰ at the highest Chl a peak, and high in carbohydrates and proteins content – up to 167 and 148µg/L, respectively-), and a clear and strong continental signature of the POM present during late summer and fall (13C depleted, with values averaging −26.5‰, and high in lipid content – up to 92µg/L-) when freshwater melting is accentuated. Our data evidence the importance of combining both physical (i.e. water mass dominance) and geochemical (i.e. characteristics of material released by glacier runoff) data in order to understand the timing, intensity and characteristics of the phytoplankton bloom in Kongsfjorden, a continuously changing system due to sustained warming. In a scenario where glacial retreat is predicted to increase the impacts of meltwater discharge and associated delivery of organic and inorganic material to the surrounding waters, special attention is required in order to predict the consequences for Arctic fjords and adjacent shelf ecosystems.

Abstract: Major, long-term environmental changes are projected in the Southern Ocean and these are likely to have impacts for marine predators such as the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). Decadal monitoring studies have provided insight into the short-term environmental sensitivities of Adélie penguin populations, particularly to sea ice changes. However, given the long-term nature of projected climate change, it is also prudent to consider the responses of populations to environmental change over longer time scales. We investigated the population trajectory of Adélie penguins during the last glacial-interglacial transition to determine how the species was affected by climate warming over millennia. We focussed our study on East Antarctica, which is home to 30 % of the global population of Adélie penguins.

Abstract: Host specific adaptations in parasites can lead to the divergence of conspecific populations. However, this divergence can be difficult to measure because morphological changes may not be expressed or because obvious changes may simply reflect phenotypic plasticity. Combining both genetic and phenotypic information can enable a better understanding of the divergence process and help identify the underlying selective forces, particularly in closely-related species groups. Here, we link genetic and morphometric data to understand divergence patterns within the Ornithodoros (Carios) capensis complex, a group of soft ticks (Argasidae) exploiting colonial seabirds across the globe. Species designations in this complex were historically based on larval morphology and geographic location. However, recent work has suggested that divergence within the group may be at least partially linked to host specificity. We therefore first examined population genetic structure of ticks in relation to host use and geography. These analyses revealed strong structure in relation to host use, both when populations were sympatric and widely allopatric, with a secondary effect of geography. They also demonstrated the presence of several novel and presumably undescribed species exploiting these seabird hosts. We then used geometric morphometrics (landmark and outline analyses) to test whether host-associated genetic divergence is always accompanied by the same phenotypic changes. We found that morphological variation (size and shape) correlated well with genetic structure; tick size and shape varied strongly in relation to host type, and weakly with geography. These results support the hypothesis that speciation in this tick group has been more strongly shaped by host use than by geographic barriers per se. The revealed phenetic patterns now require detailed investigation to link them with host-specific selective forces.