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Biofilms on glacial surfaces: hotspots for biological activity
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences. Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany.
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Number of Authors: 62016 (English)In: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, E-ISSN 2055-5008, Vol. 2, article id UNSP 16008Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Glaciers are important constituents in the Earth's hydrological and carbon cycles, with predicted warming leading to increases in glacial melt and the transport of nutrients to adjacent and downstream aquatic ecosystems. Microbial activity on glacial surfaces has been linked to the biological darkening of cryoconite particles, affecting albedo and increased melt. This phenomenon, however, has only been demonstrated for alpine glaciers and the Greenland Ice Sheet, excluding Antarctica. In this study, we show via confocal laser scanning microscopy that microbial communities on glacial surfaces in Antarctica persist in biofilms. Overall, similar to 35% of the cryoconite sediment surfaces were covered by biofilm. Nanoscale scale secondary ion mass spectrometry measured significant enrichment of C-13 and N-15 above background in both Bacteroidetes and filamentous cyanobacteria (i.e., Oscillatoria) when incubated in the presence of C-13-NaHCO3 and (NH4)-N-15. This transfer of newly synthesised organic compounds was dependent on the distance of heterotrophic Bacteroidetes from filamentous Oscillatoria. We conclude that the spatial organisation within these biofilms promotes efficient transfer and cycling of nutrients. Further, these results support the hypothesis that biofilm formation leads to the accumulation of organic matter on cryoconite minerals, which could influence the surface albedo of glaciers.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2016. Vol. 2, article id UNSP 16008
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Earth and Related Environmental Sciences Biological Sciences
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URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-159623DOI: 10.1038/npjbiofilms.2016.8ISI: 000419466300024PubMedID: 28721245OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-159623DiVA, id: diva2:1245618
Available from: 2018-09-05 Created: 2018-09-05 Last updated: 2025-01-31Bibliographically approved

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Foster, RachelForeman, Christine M.

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