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Physicochemical and biological dynamics in a coastal Antarctic lake as it transitions from frozen to open water

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2013

Markus Dieser ,
Christine M. Foreman ,
Christopher Jaros ,
John T. Lisle ,
Mark Greenwood ,
Johanna Laybourn-Parry ,
Penney L. Miller ,
Yu-Ping Chin  and
Diane M. Mcknight
Markus Dieser
Affiliation:
Montana State University, Center for Biofilm Engineering and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, 366 EPS Building, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA Louisiana State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 202 Life Sciences Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Christine M. Foreman*
Affiliation:
Montana State University, Center for Biofilm Engineering and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, 366 EPS Building, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
Christopher Jaros
Affiliation:
INSTAAR, University of Colorado, 1560 30th Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
John T. Lisle
Affiliation:
USGS, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
Mark Greenwood
Affiliation:
Montana State University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
Johanna Laybourn-Parry
Affiliation:
University of Bristol, Bristol Glaciology Centre, School of Geographical Sciences, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
Penney L. Miller
Affiliation:
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 5500 Wabash Ave, Terre Haute, IN 47803, USA
Yu-Ping Chin
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, School of Earth Sciences, 285 Mendenhall Laboratory, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Diane M. Mcknight
Affiliation:
INSTAAR, University of Colorado, 1560 30th Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
*
*Corresponding author: cforeman@montana.edu
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Abstract

Pony Lake, at Cape Royds, Antarctica, is a shallow, eutrophic, coastal lake that freezes solid in the winter. Changes in Pony Lake's physicochemical parameters and microbial community were studied during the transition from ice to open water. Due to rising water temperatures, the progressive melt of the ice column and the gradual mixing of basal brines into the remaining water column, Pony Lake evolved physically and chemically over the course of the summer, thereby affecting the microbial community composition. Temperature, pH, conductivity, nutrients and major ion concentrations reached their maximum in January. Pony Lake was colonized by bacteria, viruses, phytoflagellates, ciliates, and a small number of rotifers. Primary and bacterial production were highest in mid-December (2.66 mg C l-1 d-1 and 30.5 μg C l-1 d-1, respectively). A 16S rRNA gene analysis of the bacterioplankton revealed 34 unique sequences dominated by members of the β- and γ-proteobacteria lineages. Cluster analyses on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) banding patterns and community structure indicated a shift in the dominant members of the microbial community during the transition from winter ice, to early, and late summer lakewater. Our data demonstrate that temporal changes in physicochemical parameters during the summer months determine community dynamics and mediate changes in microbial species composition.

Keywords

Antarcticamicrobesseasonal transition
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 25 , Issue 5 , October 2013 , pp. 663 - 675
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013 

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