Presently very little is known about the ecological role of medusae, a group of gelatinous zooplankton, in Antarctic waters. Many medusae which normally occur only at depth are found under the ice in Antarctic surface waters. The taxonomy and abundance of this group is fairly well known. In contrast, virtually nothing is known about their biology or place in the Antarctic food web. Larson proposes to conduct field studies uing SCUBA diving to document the in situ behavior of medusae. Individuals collected in situ will be used in laboratory experiments to obtain information on their metabolic physiology and reproductive patterns. Diets will be analyzed using material collected and preserved in situ. Knowledge of this group is essential for understanding the structure and function of the overall marine ecosystem. The fact that medusae are relatively abundant under the ice in nearshore waters, where high primary production attracts juvenile krill, suggests they may be an important krill predator.
