The zone of rich diatomaceous ooze, indicating underutilization of algae 

 in the pelagic food chains, is bounded on the north by the Antarctic 

 Convergence and interrupted in the western portion of the Atlantic sector, 

 in the region of abundance of Euphausia superba (Watkins, 1973). 



Thus, the main specifics of the communities of the Southern Ocean can 

 be characterized by: low species diversity, relatively simple trophic 

 web; orderly sequencing of the spatial structure, which changes regularly 

 with time; a long lag between the maxima of phytoplankton and zooplankton 

 and local differences in the degree of their balance. 



107 



