Microbiology of Subglacial Environments

Achberger, Amanda M.; Michaud, Alexander B.; Vick‐Majors, Trista J.; Christner, Brent C.; Skidmore, M. L.; Priscu, John C.; Tranter, Martyn

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57057-0_5

Cited by 40 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 109 publications

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“…Lake water samples were collected with a clean 10 L Niskin bottle and sediments were recovered using a clean gravity multicorer (Uwitec). Full details of the clean access protocol, results, drilling, and sample recovery are described elsewhere (Achberger et al, , ; Christner et al, ;Priscu et al, ; Tulaczyk et al, ). Briefly, three discrete 10 L water samples were collected at middepth from the ~2.2 m water column between 28 and 30 January 2013 and returned to the surface for processing.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical Connectivity Between Freshwater Ecosystems beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Sub‐Ice Marine Environment

Vick‐Majors

Michaud

Skidmore

et al. 2020

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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Although subglacial aquatic environments are widespread beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, subglacial biogeochemistry is not well understood, and the contribution of subglacial water to coastal ocean carbon and nutrient cycling remains poorly constrained. The Whillans Subglacial Lake (SLW) ecosystem is upstream from West Antarctica's Gould‐Siple Coast ~800 m beneath the surface of the Whillans Ice Stream. SLW hosts an active microbial ecosystem and is part of an active hydrological system that drains into the marine cavity beneath the adjacent Ross Ice Shelf. Here we examine sources and sinks for organic matter in the lake and estimate the freshwater carbon and nutrient delivery from discharges into the coastal embayment. Fluorescence‐based characterization of dissolved organic matter revealed microbially driven differences between sediment pore waters and lake water, with an increasing contribution from relict humic‐like dissolved organic matter with sediment depth. Mass balance calculations indicated that the pool of dissolved organic carbon in the SLW water column could be produced in 4.8 to 11.9 yr, which is a time frame similar to that of the lakes’ fill‐drain cycle. Based on these estimates, subglacial lake water discharged at the Siple Coast could supply an average of 5,400% more than the heterotrophic carbon demand within Siple Coast embayments (6.5% for the entire Ross Ice Shelf cavity). Our results suggest that subglacial discharge represents a heretofore unappreciated source of microbially processed dissolved organic carbon and other nutrients to the Southern Ocean.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical Connectivity Between Freshwater Ecosystems beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Sub‐Ice Marine Environment

Vick‐Majors

Michaud

Skidmore

et al. 2020

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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“…The characteristics of subglacial environments, including subglacial lakes, have been described in detail in a number of reviews (e.g., Hotaling et al 2017b ) and book chapters (Achberger et al 2017 ). Since access to these often remote areas is difficult for technological, financial, and environmental reasons, knowledge of microbial life in subglacial habitats is still limited.…”

Section: Microbial Diversity and Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Margesin

Collins

2019

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

123

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Microorganisms in cold ecosystems play a key ecological role in their natural habitats. Since these ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate changes, as indicated by the worldwide retreat of glaciers and ice sheets as well as permafrost thawing, an understanding of the role and potential of microbial life in these habitats has become crucial. Emerging technologies have added significantly to our knowledge of abundance, functional activity, and lifestyles of microbial communities in cold environments. The current knowledge of microbial ecology in glacial habitats and permafrost, the most studied habitats of the cryosphere, is reported in this review.

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“…With a relatively moderate temperature and humidity, high plant diversity at the low and middle elevations would maintain a high biodiversity, while most species would be limited (e.g., Bradyrhizobium) when the environment is perennially cool and moist at a high elevation (Brown, 2001). Polaromonas and Sideroxydans, which have strategies to survive and metabolize at low temperatures, are commonly found in cryospheric and high-latitude environments (Hell et al, 2013;Achberger et al, 2017). Our results agreed in that these species had higher relative abundances at high-elevation soils (Fig.…”

Section: Downtrend Pattern Of Diazotrophic α-Diversity With Elevationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community assemblage of free-living diazotrophs along the elevational gradient of Mount Gongga

Wang

Shen

et al. 2019

Soil Ecol. Lett.

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Mountain systems are unique for studying the responses of species distribution and diversity to environmental changes along elevational gradients. It is well known that free-living diazotrophic microorganisms are important to nitrogen cycling in mountain systems. However, the elevational patterns of free-living diazotrophs and the underlying ecological processes in controlling their turnover along broader gradients are less well documented. Here, we investigated the pattern of diazotrophic diversity along the elevational gradient (1800 m-4100 m) in Mount Gongga of China. The results showed that the α-diversity of diazotrophs did not change with the elevation from 1800 m to 2800 m, but decreased at elevations above 3000 m. Such diversity pattern was driven mainly by soil total carbon, nitrogen, and plant richness. Various diazotrophic taxa showed differential abundance-elevation relationships. Ecological processes determining diazotrophic community assemblage shift along the elevations. Deterministic processes were relatively stronger at both low and high elevations, whereas stochastic processes were stronger at the middle elevation. This study also suggested a strong relationship among aboveground plants and diazotrophs, highlighting their potential interactions, even for free-living diazotrophs.

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Microbiology of Subglacial Environments

Cited by 40 publications

References 109 publications

Biogeochemical Connectivity Between Freshwater Ecosystems beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Sub‐Ice Marine Environment

Biogeochemical Connectivity Between Freshwater Ecosystems beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Sub‐Ice Marine Environment

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Community assemblage of free-living diazotrophs along the elevational gradient of Mount Gongga

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