Article
Environmental Sciences
Michal Saniewski, Piotr Balazy, Kamila Klajman, Dominika Saniewska
Summary: The article presents data on Cs-137 activity in seawater, sediment, macroalgae, and zoobenthos from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, maritime Antarctica. The activity of Cs-137 in macrophytobenthos remained stable across species, but some individuals showed higher activity near the glacier front. Cs-137 activity in zoobenthos varied greatly, but the total doses were much lower than reference levels. Stable isotopes analysis suggests that the source of carbon might be the main factor influencing Cs-137 activity.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gabriela Garmendia, Angie Alvarez, Romina Villarreal, Adalgisa Martinez-Silveira, Michael Wisniewski, Silvana Vero
Summary: This study characterized fungal communities in the coastal waters of King George Island in maritime Antarctica using both culture-dependent and high-throughput sequencing methods. The results showed higher fungal diversity with HTS compared to culture methods, with some fungal groups only detected by HTS. The study highlights the importance of using both culture and HTS methods to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of microbial communities.
WORLD JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Donlaporn Sripan, Alisa Wilantho, Khunnalack Khitmoh, Doonyapong Wongsawaeng, Jamal Ouazzani, Suchana Chavanich, Sissades Tongsima, Naraporn Somboonna
Summary: This study revealed microbiota and their metabolic potentials at an epipelagic depth in the southeast Andaman Sea of Thailand, showing significant differences between shallow and deep microbial communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Renato Daniel La Torre, Daniel Ramos, Mayra Doris Mejia, Edgar Neyra, Edwin Loarte, Gisella Orjeda
Summary: DNA barcoding is effective for identifying well-represented lichenized fungi groups, but its effectiveness is limited in understudied regions. A study on King George Island in Antarctica used a fungal barcode marker to survey lichenized fungi diversity. The majority of samples were accurately identified using the barcode marker, and subsequent morphological evaluations led to the identification of unknown species. These results contribute to the understanding of lichenized fungi diversity in understudied regions and provide valuable guidance for taxonomy efforts in species recognition and discovery.
Article
Microbiology
Jae Eun So, Josef P. P. Halda, Soon Gyu Hong, Jae-Seoun Hur, Ji Hee Kim
Summary: Intense investigations of lichen flora have been conducted in the Barton and Weaver Peninsulas, Fildes Peninsula, and Ardley Island in Maxwell Bay, King George Island, maritime Antarctic. A total of 104 lichen species from 53 genera were identified using phenotypic and molecular analyses. Thirty-one species are endemic to Antarctica and 22 species are newly recorded in the Maxwell Bay region.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Piotr Androsiuk, Katarzyna J. Chwedorzewska, Justyna Dulska, Sylwia Milarska, Irena Gielwanowska
Summary: Deschampsia antarctica exhibits wide ecotypic variation in diverse Antarctic habitats, adapting to different environmental conditions and soil properties. Genetic variation identified through retrotransposon-based iPBS markers suggests low genetic diversity, high population differentiation, and potential genetic drift within populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jong-Sik Ryu, Hyoun Soo Lim, Hye-Bin Choi, Ji-Hoon Kim, Ok-Sun Kim, Nathalie Vigier
Summary: This study investigates the elemental and Li isotope geochemistry of meltwaters, suspended sediments, soils, and bedrocks in the Barton Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. The findings suggest that increasing global surface temperature enhances modern chemical weathering in Antarctica, leading to lower delta Li-7 values in meltwater with intense water-rock interactions.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marc Oliva, David Palacios, Jose M. Fernandez-Fernandez, Marcelo Fernandes, Irene Schimmelpfennig, Goncalo Vieira, Dermot Antoniades, Augusto Perez-Alberti, Julia Garcia-Oteyza
Summary: This study reconstructs the glacial history of the Fildes Peninsula in the northern Antarctic Peninsula. It reveals that the deglaciation occurred during the Holocene Thermal Maximum and was followed by glacial expansion under favorable climate conditions. The results contribute to a better understanding of the peninsula's Holocene geoecological dynamics.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tailisi H. Trevizani, Rosalinda C. Montone, Rubens C. L. Figueira
Summary: The polar regions are susceptible to pollution, and the Antarctic continent was believed to be less affected by human activities. Research stations in these areas may have direct exposure to contaminants. Soil samples taken near the Brazilian Commandant Ferraz Antarctic Station showed increased levels of metals and arsenic. After a fire incident, certain heavy metals had elevated levels in the soil samples, but there was a decrease in metal levels from 2016 to 2018.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Javier Lenzi, Fiorella Bresesti, Juan Pablo Lozoya, Barbara De Feo, Evelyn Krojmal, Gissell Lacerot, Christina Braun, Franco Teixeira de Mello
Summary: This study characterized the diet and debris ingestion of skuas in the Antarctic region using pellet analysis. It compared the habits of two skua species and found that their diets were generalist and opportunistic. The study also suggested that brown skuas did not displace south polar skuas from penguin breeding colonies. The results highlight the importance of addressing local anthropogenic sources of debris for mitigation efforts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jong-Ku Gal, Bohyung Choi, Bo-Kyung Kim, Jin-Woo Jung, Jun-Oh Min, Won Young Lee, Kyung-Hoon Shin, Jeong-Hoon Kim, Sun-Yong Ha
Summary: The study found that the overlap of isotopic niches among seabirds in the Antarctic Peninsula suggests potential diet competition, while the broad isotopic niche width of kelp gulls indicates their adaptation through generalization related to habitat extension and various food sources.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Falk, Adrian Silva-Busso
Summary: This paper focuses on the groundwater flow aspects in a small hydrological catchment on King George Island, Antarctica, using various methods to establish a conceptual hydrogeological model and assess groundwater flow discharge.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Patryk Krauze, Dirk Wagner, Sizhong Yang, Diogo Spinola, Peter Kuehn
Summary: Compared to the 1970s, the edge of the Ecology Glacier on King George Island in maritime Antarctica has moved more than 500 m inwards, exposing a large area of new terrain to soil-forming processes and periglacial climate for over 40 years. Research showed differences in microbial community compositions and vegetation coverage, despite the short distance among the initial soils, with the highest bacterial abundances and microbial diversity observed at vegetated sites. The main soil-forming processes in the foreland of the Ecology Glacier on a decadal timescale are acidification and accumulation of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, accompanied by changes in microbial abundances, microbial community compositions, and plant coverage, while quantifiable silicate weathering and pedogenic oxides formation occur on a centennial to millennial timescale after deglaciation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frederic Thalasso, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui, Lea Cabrol, Celine Lavergne, Nazli Olgun, Karla Martinez-Cruz, Polette Aguilar-Munoz, Natalia Calle, Andres Mansilla, Maria Soledad Astorga-Espana
Summary: A comprehensive assessment of freshwater ecosystems in the maritime Antarctica reveals their important role in the global greenhouse gas budget, with low-level atmospheric methane emissions but acting as greenhouse gas sinks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tomasz Krucon, Lukasz Dziewit, Lukasz Drewniak
Summary: This study evaluated the taxonomic and metabolic diversity of bacteria in Antarctic ponds affected by penguins and sea elephants. The metabolic assays showed that the bacteria in the ponds have the ability to degrade lipids, cellulose, proteins, and starch. The addition of run-off changed the proportions of inhabiting bacteria, highlighting the significant role of penguins in shaping bacterial populations in Antarctic environments.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)