Search

Glaciers are receding worldwide because of climate change, and as a consequence, glacier-fed streams are expected to undergo deep physical and chemical changes in the future, potentially inducing dramatic ecological shifts. At the base of glacier-fed stream ecosystems are bacteria, which, along with eukaryotic algae, form biofilms that drive biogeochemical transformations and fluxes of global relevance. Despite this importance, relatively little is known about the glacier-fed stream microbiome and even less on how it may be affected by climate change. The Vanishing Glaciers Project offers a novel and powerful opportunity to investigate this idea, with 16S rRNA amplicon data, shotgun metagenome sequencing, and physicochemical parameters assessed for glacier-fed streams distributed globally. Here, using data from 161 of the sampled streams, combined with glaciological modelling, we examined a) how the environmental template of these ecosystems will change according to several scenarios of climate change; b) how these changes will alter species distributions for the most prevalent bacterial community members; and c) how the ecological properties of abundant taxa vary along the gradient of glacier influence. We predict, that glacier-fed streams will undergo a process analogous to the “greening” of terrestrial alpine ecosystems, as benthic algal abundance is forecasted to significantly increase. Models based on 16s rRNA amplicon data predict the total bacterial abundance to greatly expand, but differences across taxa reveal unique responses to the modelled environmental changes. Corroborative evidence for shifts in bacterial communities along the gradient of glacier influence was found using metagenome assembled genomes, where we identified genomic features putatively adaptive to cryospheric conditions. Within these changes in taxa abundance, we highlight the shifting role of specialists within the community. Overall, this work sheds light on how bacteria adapt to the extreme environmental conditions of glacier-fed streams, and how climate change will impact these unique communities.

Streams draining proglacial floodplains harbor benthic biofilms comprised of diverse microbial communities. These high-mountain ecosystems are rapidly changing with climate warming, and it is therefore critical to better understand the mechanisms underlying the assembly of their microbial communities., In proglacial floodplains, glacier recession promotes biogeochemical and ecological gradients across relatively small spatial scales. The resulting environmental heterogeneity induces remarkable microbial biodiversity among proglacial stream biofilms. Yet the relative importance of environmental constraints in forming biofilm communities remains largely unknown. Extreme environmental conditions in proglacial streams may lead to the homogenizing selection of biofilm-forming microorganisms. However, environmental differences between proglacial streams may impose different selective forces, resulting in nested, spatially structured assembly processes. Here, we investigated bacterial community assembly processes by unraveling ecologically successful phylogenetic clades in two stream types (glacier-fed mainstems and non-glacier-fed tributaries) draining three proglacial floodplains in the Swiss Alps. Clades with low phylogenetic turnover rates were present in all stream types, including Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria, while the other clades were specific to one stream type. These clades constituted up to 34.8% and 31.1% of the community diversity and up to 61.3% and 50.9% of the relative abundances in mainstems and tributaries, respectively, highlighting their importance and success in these communities. Furthermore, the proportion of bacteria under homogeneous selection was inversely related to the abundance of photoautotrophs, and these clades may therefore decrease in abundance with the future "greening" of proglacial habitats. Finally, we found little effect of physical distance from the glacier on clades under selection in glacier-fed streams, probably due to the high hydrological connectivity of our study reaches. Overall, these findings shed new light on the mechanisms of microbial biofilm assembly in proglacial streams and help us to predict their future in a rapidly changing environment.IMPORTANCE Streams draining proglacial floodplains harbor benthic biofilms comprised of diverse microbial communities. These high-mountain ecosystems are rapidly changing with climate warming, and it is therefore critical to better understand the mechanisms underlying the assembly of their microbial communities. We found that homogeneous selection dominates the structuring of bacterial communities in benthic biofilms in both glacier-fed mainstems and nonglacier tributary streams within three proglacial floodplains in the Swiss Alps. However, differences between glacier-fed and tributary ecosystems may impose differential selective forces. Here, we uncovered nested, spatially structured assembly processes for proglacial floodplain communities. Our analyses additionally provided insights into linkages between aquatic photoautotrophs and the bacterial taxa under homogeneous selection, potentially by providing a labile source of carbon in these otherwise carbon-deprived systems. In the future, we expect a shift in the bacterial communities under homogeneous selection in glacier-fed streams as primary production becomes more important and streams become "greener".

Cross-domain interactions are an integral part of the success of complex biofilms in natural environments. Here, we report on cross-domain interactions in biofilms of streams draining proglacial floodplains in the Swiss Alps. These streams, as a consequence of the retreat of glaciers, are characterized by multiple environmental gradients and stability that depend on the time since deglaciation. We estimate co-occurrence of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities along this gradient and show that key community members have disproportionate effects on the stability of co-occurrence networks. The topology of the networks was similar independent of environmental gradients and stability. However, network stability was higher in the streams draining proglacial terrain that was more recently deglaciated. We find that both pro- and eukaryotes are central to the stability of these networks, which fragment upon the removal of both pro- and eukaryotic taxa. These ‘keyplayers’ are not always abundant, suggesting an underlying functional component to their contributions. Thus, we show that there is a key role played by individual taxa in determining microbial community stability of glacier-fed streams.

Microbial biofilms have received great attention in the last few decades from both aquatic ecologists and biogeomorphologists. Most recently, this has focused on mapping biofilms to understand their spatial distributions and ecosystem services. Such studies often involve the use of satellite imagery, which typically provides large temporal and spatial scales and wide-range spectral information. Although satellites have the advantage of multi- and hyper-spectral sensors, images often have low spatial resolution that limits their use in river studies, where both rivers are narrower and stream processes occur at resolutions smaller than the footprint of satellite sensors. Spatial resolution is sensor quality dependent but also controlled by sensor elevation above the ground. Hence, high resolutions can be achieved either by using a very expensive sensor or by decreasing the distance between the target area and the sensor itself. To date, sensor technology has advanced to a point where multi- or even hyper-spectral cameras can be easily carried out by an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at unprecedented spatial resolutions. Where such sensors have high spectral resolution, they are often prohibitively expensive, especially as their use in extreme environments such as glacial forefields risks UAV damage. In this paper, we test the performance of visible band ratios in mapping biofilms in an Alpine glacier forefield characterized by a well-developed and heterogeneous stream ecosystem but using a low-cost UAV. The paper shows that low-cost and consumer grade UAVs can be easily deployed in such extreme environments, delivering both quality RGB images for photogrammetric (SfM-MVS) processing and sufficient spectral information for benthic biofilm mapping at high temporal and spatial resolution. RGB cameras are an alternative to expensive multi- or hyper-spectral cameras.Phototrophic biofilms can be detected and mapped through visible band ratios.High-temporal and high-resolution imagery can be collected by consumer-grade UAVs.Biofilm presence is restricted to stable and water-fed terraces in summer. RGB cameras are an alternative to expensive multi- or hyper-spectral cameras. Phototrophic biofilms can be detected and mapped through visible band ratios. High-temporal and high-resolution imagery can be collected by consumer-grade UAVs. Biofilm presence is restricted to stable and water-fed terraces in summer.

Microbial life in glacier-fed streams (GFSs) is dominated by benthic biofilms which fulfill critical ecosystem processes. However, it remains unclear how the bacterial communities of these biofilms assemble in stream ecosystems characterized by rapid turnover of benthic habitats and high suspended sediment loads. Using16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence data collected from 54 GFSs across the Himalayas, European Alps, and Scandinavian Mountains, we found that benthic biofilms harbor bacterial communities that are distinct from the bacterial assemblages suspended in the streamwater. Our data showed a decrease in species richness in the benthic biofilms compared to the bacterial cells putatively free-living in the water. The benthic biofilms also differed from the suspended water fractions in terms of community composition. Differential abundance analyses highlighted bacterial families that were specific to the benthic biofilms and the suspended assemblages. Notably, source-sink models suggested that the benthic biofilm communities are not simply a subset of the suspended assemblages. Rather, we found evidence that deterministic processes (e.g., species sorting) shape the benthic biofilm communities. This is unexpected given the high vertical mixing of water and contained bacterial cells in GFSs and further highlights the benthic biofilm mode of life as one that is determined through niche-related processes. Our findings therefore reveal a "native" benthic biofilm community in an ecosystem that is currently threatened by climate-induced glacier shrinkage. IMPORTANCE Benthic biofilms represent the dominant form of life in glacier-fed streams. However, it remains unclear how bacterial communities within these biofilms assemble. Our findings from glacier-fed streams from three major mountain ranges across the Himalayas, the European Alps and the Scandinavian Mountains reveal a bacterial community associated with benthic biofilms that is distinct from the assemblage in the overlying streamwater. Our analyses suggest that selection is the underlying process to this differentiation. This is unexpected given that bacterial cells that are freely living or attached to the abundant sediment particles suspended in the water continuously mix with the benthic biofilms. The latter colonize loose sediments that are subject to high turnover owing to the forces of the water flow. Our research unravels the existence of a microbiome specific to benthic biofilms in glacier-fed streams, now under major threats due to global warming., Benthic biofilms represent the dominant form of life in glacier-fed streams. However, it remains unclear how bacterial communities within these biofilms assemble.

The non-marine diatom flora of the Antarctic continent is currently being revised as recent work within the Maritime and Sub-Antarctic regions has unveiled a number of new endemic species. The under reporting of endemic species is partially due to the historic 'force-fitting' of Antarctic species into European names. Within East Antarctica, the Vestfold Hills are an extensively studied area known for their diversity of lakes spanning a salinity gradient, for whichDiatoms of the saline lakes of the Vestfold Hills, Antarcticaby Roberts & McMinn (1999) has a primary identification resource for over two decades. To determine if improved taxonomic resolution alters the ecological interpretation of these lakes, 30 prepared lake sediment samples first examined by Roberts & McMinn (1999) were re-analysed using an updated, fine-grained taxonomic approach. Our analyses confirmed the role of salinity and alkalinity in structuring Vestfold Hills diatom communities. Thus, the increased taxonomic resolution did not change the original ecological interpretation. However, the revised flora of the Vestfold Hills features 37 species endemic to the Antarctic Region, including members ofLuticola, SabbeaandHalamphora, among others. In total, 183 taxa across 38 genera were observed, in contrast to the 67 taxa reported in the original work. The revised flora, including a larger proportion of endemic species, may improve our understanding of the diatom community in general and has wider implications for both conservation and biodiversity estimates of Antarctica. More widely applied, these data can be incorporated into larger studies of Antarctic microbial biogeography and biodiversity.

Glaciers are considered to be a biome with diverse microbial life, and their meltwaters are highly influential to downstream ecosystems by creating a unique riverine habitat template and providing resources such as nutrients and organic matter. Yet, despite unprecedented rates of glacial retreat globally, not much is known about the fate of microbial cells exported from glaciers, despite their potential to colonize and reside in downstream ecosystems. The influence of glacial meltwater on these downstream ecosystems may persist far downstream, but other sources of nutrients, organic matter, and microbial cells within the hydrological catchment likely gain influence with distance from the glacier. These include soils and thawing permafrost - partly via eroding stream banks - and benthic stream biofilms residing both within and outside the glacial environment (e.g. in tributary streams).In this work, we ask how suspended microbial assemblages change with increasing distance from the source glacier, especially in terms of their composition and corresponding with abiotic environmental factors. We hypothesize that OTU richness will increase with distance from source glaciers as the importance of other catchment sources increase. Specifically, we expect ‘cryospheric’ OTUs to decrease in relative abundance, and more ‘generalist’ freshwater OTUs to increase. We sampled five glacier-fed streams (3 in the Austrian Alps, 1 in Iceland and 1 in Greenland) from the glacier terminus until the ocean or major riverine outlet. DNA was extracted from samples, and 16s rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced to characterize the assemblage structure. These preliminary observations improve our knowledge of the fate of glacially-exported microbial assemblages, and help us to understand the extent of their potential impact for downstream ecosystems, especially in the current age of deglaciation.

Glacier shrinkage opens new proglacial terrain with pronounced environmental gradients along longitudinal and lateral chronosequences. Despite the environmental harshness of the streams that drain glacier forelands, their benthic biofilms can harbor astonishing biodiversity spanning all domains of life. Here, we studied the spatial dynamics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic photoautotroph diversity within braided glacier-fed streams and tributaries draining lateral terraces predominantly fed by groundwater and snowmelt across three proglacial floodplains in the Swiss Alps. Along the lateral chronosequence, we found that benthic biofilms in tributaries develop higher biomass than those in glacier-fed streams, and that their respective diversity and community composition differed markedly. We also found spatial turnover of bacterial communities in the glacier-fed streams along the longitudinal chronosequence. These patterns along the two chronosequences seem unexpected given the close spatial proximity and connectivity of the various streams, suggesting environmental filtering as an underlying mechanism. Furthermore, our results suggest that photoautotrophic communities shape bacterial communities across the various streams, which is understandable given that algae are the major source of organic matter in proglacial streams. Overall, our findings shed new light on benthic biofilms in proglacial streams now changing at rapid pace owing to climate-induced glacier shrinkage.

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a universal phenomenon whose origins lay in natural ecological interactions such as competition within niches, within and between micro- to higher-order organisms. However, the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping AMR need to be better understood in view of better antimicrobial stewardship. Resolving antibiotic biosynthetic pathways, including biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), and corresponding antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) may therefore help in understanding the inherent mechanisms. However, to study these phenomena, it is crucial to examine the origins of AMR in pristine environments with limited anthropogenic influences. In this context, epilithic biofilms residing in glacier-fed streams (GFSs) are an excellent model system to study diverse, intra- and inter-domain, ecological crosstalk.ResultsWe assessed the resistomes of epilithic biofilms from GFSs across the Southern Alps (New Zealand) and the Caucasus (Russia) and observed that both bacteria and eukaryotes encoded twenty-nine distinct AMR categories. Of these, beta-lactam, aminoglycoside, and multidrug resistance were both abundant and taxonomically distributed in most of the bacterial and eukaryotic phyla. AMR-encoding phyla included Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria among the bacteria, alongside Ochrophyta (algae) among the eukaryotes. Additionally, BGCs involved in the production of antibacterial compounds were identified across all phyla in the epilithic biofilms. Furthermore, we found that several bacterial genera (Flavobacterium, Polaromonas, etc.) including representatives of the superphylum Patescibacteria encode both ARGs and BGCs within close proximity of each other, thereby demonstrating their capacity to simultaneously influence and compete within the microbial community.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the presence and abundance of AMR in epilithic biofilms within GFSs. Additionally, we identify their role in the complex intra- and inter-domain competition and the underlying mechanisms influencing microbial survival in GFS epilithic biofilms. We demonstrate that eukaryotes may serve as AMR reservoirs owing to their potential for encoding ARGs. We also find that the taxonomic affiliation of the AMR and the BGCs are congruent. Importantly, our findings allow for understanding how naturally occurring BGCs and AMR contribute to the epilithic biofilms mode of life in GFSs. Importantly, these observations may be generalizable and potentially extended to other environments which may be more or less impacted by human activity.

The cryosphere includes those parts of Earth where water or soil is frozen, such as snow, ice, glaciers and permafrost soils. Here, the authors present a global inventory of cryospheric microbial communities and their genetic repertoires., The melting of the cryosphere is among the most conspicuous consequences of climate change, with impacts on microbial life and related biogeochemistry. However, we are missing a systematic understanding of microbiome structure and function across cryospheric ecosystems. Here, we present a global inventory of the microbiome from snow, ice, permafrost soils, and both coastal and freshwater ecosystems under glacier influence. Combining phylogenetic and taxonomic approaches, we find that these cryospheric ecosystems, despite their particularities, share a microbiome with representatives across the bacterial tree of life and apparent signatures of early and constrained radiation. In addition, we use metagenomic analyses to define the genetic repertoire of cryospheric bacteria. Our work provides a reference resource for future studies on climate change microbiology.

Microorganisms dominate life in cryospheric ecosystems. In glacier-fed streams (GFSs), ecological windows of opportunities allow complex microbial biofilms to develop and transiently form the basis of the food web, thereby controlling key ecosystem processes. Here, using high-resolution metagenomics, we unravel strategies that allow biofilms to seize this opportunity in an ecosystem otherwise characterized by harsh environmental conditions. We found a diverse microbiome spanning the entire tree of life and including a rich virome. Various and co-existing energy acquisition pathways point to diverse niches and the simultaneous exploitation of available resources, likely fostering the establishment of complex biofilms in GFSs during windows of opportunity. The wide occurrence of rhodopsins across metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), besides chlorophyll, highlights the role of solar energy capture in these biofilms. Concomitantly, internal carbon and nutrient cycling between photoautotrophs and heterotrophs may help overcome constraints imposed by the high oligotrophy in GFSs. MAGs also revealed mechanisms potentially protecting bacteria against low temperatures and high UV-radiation. The selective pressure of the GFS environment is further highlighted by the phylogenomic analysis, differentiating the representatives of the genusPolaromonas, an important component of the GFS microbiome, from those found in other ecosystems. Our findings reveal key genomic underpinnings of adaptive traits that contribute to the success of complex biofilms to exploit environmental opportunities in GFSs, now rapidly changing owing to global warming.

The non-marine diatom flora of the Antarctic Continent includes several endemic taxa recorded over the past 100 years. One of these taxa, Navicula adminensis D.Roberts & McMinn, was described from the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica. Detailed light and scanning electron microscopy observations have shown that based on its morphological features, the species does not belong to the genus Navicula sensu stricto. To determine the most closely related genera to N. adminensis, the morphological features of Adlafia, Kobayasiella, Envekadea, Stenoneis, Berkeleya, Climaconeis, and Parlibellus were compared with those of N. adminensis. Although each of these genera shows one or more similar features, none of them accommodates the salient morphological characteristics of N. adminensis. Therefore, a new genus, Sabbea gen. nov., is herein described, and Navicula adminensis is formally transferred to the new genus as Sabbea adminensis comb. nov. The genus Sabbea is characterized by uniseriate striae composed of small, rounded areolae occluded externally by individual hymenes, a rather simple raphe structure with straight, short proximal ends and short terminal raphe fissures, open girdle bands with double perforation and a very shallow mantle.

Lentic freshwater habitats are important centres of biodiversity within the infrequent ice-free oases across Antarctica. Given imminent climate changes, it is crucial to catalogue these habitats in order to provide baseline data for future monitoring and biological surveys. The lacustrine systems of Clearwater Mesa, a previously unexplored part of James Ross Island, north-eastern Antarctic Peninsula, are described here. We conducted basic geomorphological and limnological surveys over three Antarctic summers (2009–16) to characterize landscape evolution, infer the origin of lake basins and assess the variability in their water chemistry. Stable shallow lakes, formed in depressions between lava tumuli following the last deglaciation, were found to dominate the volcanic mesa, although several peripheral lakes in ice-proximal settings appear to have formed recently as a result of post-Neoglacial ice recession. We found large heterogeneity in conductivity (~10–7000 μS cm−1), despite the lithologically uniform substrate. This variability was shown to be related to lake type, basin type (openvsclosed), meltwater source and proximity to the coast. Inter-annual differences were attributed to changes in sea spray influx and snow accumulation driven by variable weather conditions. Overall, the ion composition of lakes suggested that sea spray was the dominant source of ions, followed by the weathering of bedrock.

Kuannersuit Glacier in west Greenland experienced a major surge in 1995–1998, where the glacier advanced 10.5 km down-valley. In this paper, we examine how the quiescent phase has progressed until 2015 with respect to ice dynamics, landform formations and glaciomorphological changes. In the initial quiescent phase (2001–2005), ice velocities along the center flowline were 37–55% higher than ice velocities (6.3–9.0 m yr −1 ) in 2005–2015, and a linear relationship between ice velocity and distance from the glacier front, which existed during the initial quiescent phase, had disappeared in 2005–2015. Between 2001 and 2015, the post-surge glacier tongue thinned by 84.0 ± 6.3 m, equal to 6.0 ± 0.5 m yr −1 . The 30-m high terminal moraine detached from the active glacier along the uppermost thrust band between 2005 and 2015, after which the glacier front receded 1.5 km. Between the terminal moraine and the glacier front, observations suggested that a proximal outwash plain was forming on top of glacier ice and that glacier naled (icing, aufeis) was incorporated into the outwash plain. In less dynamic areas with gently sloping topography along the lateral glacier margins, crevasse-squeeze ridges were melting out. The most prominent glaciomorphological feature in 2015 was a c. 1-km long gorge with c. 30–40 m high ice cliffs. This gorge had formed into the glacier front, following the collapse of a series of chasms above the main subglacial channel. Roof collapse processes above subglacial channels had a significant impact on the glacier's mass loss and on the glaciomorphology during the quiescent phase. Earlier observations from 1913 suggest that the formation of this gorge is a reoccurring phenomenon during the quiescent phase. A lower pothole field on the glacier tongue that existed during the initial quiescent phase had completely disappeared in 2015, while a larger upper pothole field in the reservoir area prevailed. During the initial quiescent phase, the subglacial drainage system developed into a stable channelized network, although a jökulhlaup from a large ice-dammed lake occurred. This single event was dated to have occurred between 11 and 13 August 2006, and the lake did not refill. The spatiotemporal association and evolution of glacial and glaciomorphological landforms at Kuannersuit Glacier are likely similar to processes at many other surging and rapidly receding glaciers of similar size.

Biofilms have received great attention in the last few decades including their potential contribution to carbon fluxes and ecosystem engineering in aquatic ecosystems. Quantifying the spatial distribution of biofilms and their dynamics through time is a critical challenge. Satellite imagery is one solution, and can provide multi- and hyper-spectral data but not necessarily the spatial resolution that such studies need. Multi- and hyper-spectral data sets may be of particular value for not simply detecting the presense/absence of biofilms but also indicators of primary productivity such as chlorophyll-a concentrations. Spatial resolution is sensor quality dependent, but also controlled by sensor elevation above the ground. Hence, higher resolutions can be achieved either by using a very expensive sensor or by decreasing the distance between the target area and the sensor itself. To date, sensor technology has advanced to a point where multi- or even hyper-spectral cameras can be easily transported by UAVs, potentially yielding wide-range spectral information at unprecedented spatial resolutions. That said, such set ups have often exorbitant costs (several 1000s of US$) that few research institutions can afford or, due to the high probability of sensor lost, are risky to use. This is particularly true for glacier forefields where low air temperatures, dust and sudden wind gusts can easily damage both UAV and sensor components.In this paper we test the performance of visible band ratios for mapping both biofilms and chlorophyll-a concentrations in an alpine glacier forefield characterized by a well-developed and heterogeneous (kryal, krenal and rhithral) stream system. The paper shows that low-cost and consumer grade UAVs can be easily deployed in such extreme environments, delivering high temporal resolution datasets and with sufficient quality RGB images for photogrammetric (SfM-MVS) processing and post-processing image analysis (i.e., band ratios). This paper shows also that visible band ratios correlates with chlorophyll-a concentrations yielding reliable chlorophyll-a information of the forefield and at the centimetric scale. This in turn allows for precise identification of the environmental conditions that lead to both biofilm development and removal through perturbation.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is currently not accounted for in Arctic mercury budgets, despite large and increasing annual runoff to the ocean and the socio-economic concerns of high mercury levels in Arctic organisms. Here we present concentrations of mercury in meltwaters from three glacial catchments on the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet and evaluate the export of mercury to downstream fjords based on samples collected during summer ablation seasons. We show that concentrations of dissolved mercury are among the highest recorded in natural waters and mercury yields from these glacial catchments (521–3,300 mmol km−2 year−1) are two orders of magnitude higher than from Arctic rivers (4–20 mmol km−2 year−1). Fluxes of dissolved mercury from the southwestern region of Greenland are estimated to be globally significant (15.4–212 kmol year−1), accounting for about 10% of the estimated global riverine flux, and include export of bioaccumulating methylmercury (0.31–1.97 kmol year−1). High dissolved mercury concentrations (~20 pM inorganic mercury and ~2 pM methylmercury) were found to persist across salinity gradients of fjords. Mean particulate mercury concentrations were among the highest recorded in the literature (~51,000 pM), and dissolved mercury concentrations in runoff exceed reported surface snow and ice values. These results suggest a geological source of mercury at the ice sheet bed. The high concentrations of mercury and its large export to the downstream fjords have important implications for Arctic ecosystems, highlighting an urgent need to better understand mercury dynamics in ice sheet runoff under global warming. Meltwaters from the southwestern margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet contain exceptionally high concentrations of mercury, exporting up to more than 200 kmol of dissolved mercury every year, suggest mercury measurements from three glacial catchments.

Microdiversity, the organization of microorganisms into groups with closely related but ecologically different sub-types, is widespread and represents an important linchpin between microbial ecology and evolution. However, the drivers of microdiversification remain largely unknown. Here we show that selection promotes microdiversity in the microbiome associated with sediments in glacier-fed streams (GFS). Applying a novel phylogenetic framework, we identify several clades that are under homogeneous selection and that contain genera with higher levels of microdiversity than the rest of the genera. Overall these clades constituted ∼44% and ∼64% of community α-diversity and abundance, and both percentages increased further in GFS that were largely devoid of primary producers. Our findings show that strong homogeneous selection drives the microdiversification of specialized microbial groups putatively underlying their success in the extreme environment of GFS. This microdiversity could be threatened as glaciers shrink, with unknown consequences for microbial diversity and functionality in these ecosystems.

Diatoms are diverse and widespread freshwater Eukaryotes that make excellent microbial subjects for addressing questions in metacommunity ecology. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, the simple trophic structure of glacier-fed streams provides an ideal outdoor laboratory where well-described diatom assemblages are found within two cyanobacterial mat types, which occupy different habitats and vary in coverage within and among streams. Specifically, black mats ofNostocspp. occur in marginal wetted habitats, and orange mats (Oscillatoriaspp. andPhormidiumspp.) occur in areas of consistent stream flow. Despite their importance as bioindicators for changing environmental conditions, the role of dispersal in structuring dry valley diatom metacommunities remains unclear. Here, we use MCSim, a spatially explicit metacommunity simulation package for R, to test alternative hypotheses about the roles of dispersal and species sorting in maintaining the biodiversity of diatom assemblages residing in black and orange mats. The spatial distribution and patchiness of cyanobacterial mat habitats was characterized by remote imagery of the Lake Fryxell sub-catchment in Taylor Valley. The available species pool for diatom metacommunity simulation scenarios was informed by the Antarctic Freshwater Diatoms Database, maintained by the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research program. We used simulation outcomes to test the plausibility of alternative community assembly hypotheses to explain empirically observed patterns of freshwater diatom biodiversity in the long-term record. The most plausible simulation scenarios suggest species sorting by environmental filters, alone, was not sufficient to maintain biodiversity in the Fryxell Basin diatom metacommunity. The most plausible scenarios included either (1) neutral models with different immigration rates for diatoms in orange and black mats or (2) species sorting by a relatively weak environmental filter, such that dispersal dynamics also influenced diatom community assembly, but there was not such a strong disparity in immigration rates between mat types. The results point to the importance of dispersal for understanding current and future biodiversity patterns for diatoms in this ecosystem, and more generally, provide further evidence that metacommunity theory is a useful framework for testing hypotheses about microbial community assembly. United States National Science Foundation OPP (Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems) awards [1744785, 1744849, 1745053]; NSF OPP award [1637708] This work was funded by United States National Science Foundation OPP (Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems) awards 1744785, 1744849, and 1745053 and NSF OPP award 1637708 supporting the MCM LTER Project.

Ice sheets overlay active and putatively widespread microbial ecosystems. An active subglacial biota has the potential to impact strongly on the (bio)geochemistry of local as well as downstream environments. Such impacts partly depend on the distribution of microbial populations, the types of habitats present beneath the ice, and their connectivity. In the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS), supraglacial meltwaters are routed to the ice-sheet bed during the melt season, flushing out subglacial waters, sediments, and cells to proglacial environments via runoff. Here, we report on the diversity, composition, and niche differentiation of microbial assemblages exported in bulk runoff from a large (~600 km2) GrIS catchment. Proglacial river samples were collected over a period of subglacial drainage evolution in order to capture potential shifts in exported microbial community alongside hydrochemical transitions. We use high-resolution hydrochemical and hydrological information from the proglacial river to guide microbial (16S rRNA gene) interpretations. Core populations closely matched sequences previously isolated from other (pro)glacial environments, and phylogenetic characterisation of main OTUs alluded to a central role for subglacial iron, sulphur, and methane cycling. Whilst results indicate that bulk populations exported are likely true members of sub ice-sheet communities, we also find evidence of a supraglacial signature influencing composition of exported assemblages. Changes in assemblage structure accompanied those of major hydrological periods, with enhanced subglacial flushing coinciding with distinct shifts in microbial composition. Timing of sampling therefore matters when attempting to infer more nuanced changes in exported communities, or reveal the biogeochemical processes likely occurring in regions of the bed less influenced by surface melt. This is likely especially true when studying larger glacial systems, which experience complex hydrological changes throughout the melt-season, and that periods of extensive subglacial flushing offer opportunities to assess diversity from more isolated regions of the bed. Still, an apparent strong buffering signal from marginal zones appear to mask some of the diversity intrinsic to more remote, likely anoxic, subglacial niches, which may ultimately only be sampled via direct access to the subsurface.

Glacier and ice sheet beds represent important yet underresearched cryospheric ecosystems. Life in the subglacial environment is mostly dependent on organic matter (OM) overridden by ice during times of glacier advance, and the nature of subglacial OM is, therefore, likely to drive the ecosystem functionality. Here we describe the origin, degradation stage and environmental context of OM present underneath glaciers in the circum-Arctic, and their effects on the resident microbial communities.In total, 19 glaciers from Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, and Norway were sampled for subglacial sediments. Biomarker analysis of the sediment samples was conducted using total solvent extraction, and copper (II) oxide (CuO) oxidation techniques yielding lipids and lignin-derived phenols. The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS to characterize the molecular-level composition of OM present. The biomarker data were then placed in the context of other environmental data, such as radiocarbon age, nutrient contents, and microbial community composition. The majority of OM in the samples was plant-derived, suggested by the dominance of long-chain n-alkanols over the microbial-specific short-chain n-alkanols. The composition of long-chain n-alkanes (≥C20), used as biomarkers for vascular plant waxes, in the solvent extracts suggested grass sources for samples from most Greenland glaciers and conifer sources for some glaciers from Norway, Alaska, and Disko Island (Qeqertarsuaq) in West Greenland. The rest of the OM in the subglacial samples was identified to have more general tree sources. The carbon preference index (CPI) of long-chain n-alkanes suggested a high degradation stage in most samples and was correlated with the radiocarbon age of the sediments’ OC (r = -0.68). Sediments containing older and more degraded OM were found to host less diverse microbial communities compared to those of the younger sites.In a rapidly warming climate, previously glacier-covered areas are being exposed as a consequence of glacier recession. This new land is standing at the onset of ecological succession and pedogenesis. Our results contribute to the understanding of the potential ecological function of subglacial OM as an important source of carbon and driver of microbial community development after deglaciation in the circum-Arctic region.

Glaciers and ice sheets host diverse microbial life within the hydrologically connected supraglacial, englacial, and subglacial habitats. Microbial cells are collected from the entire glacial ecosystem by seasonally-generated meltwater and exported by proglacial streams. Over the course of the melt season, a subglacial drainage system develops beneath outlet glaciers from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). This system evolves from an inefficient distributed network to a more efficient channelized pathway. The extent and interconnectivity of the subglacial drainage system with the surface and sediment bed is hypothesized to differ with catchment size.In this study, we ask whether microbial export from GrIS outlet glacier systems depend on catchment size and whether they evolve with subglacial hydrology over time. We hypothesize that larger catchments will have proportionally greater subglacial drainage, which may be reflected in a greater proportion of subglacial microbes compared to smaller catchments, where the supraglacial inputs might have a higher influence on the exported meltwater. We also expect that changes in assemblage structure are likely to coincide with the evolution of the subglacial drainage system of larger catchments as the season progresses, with supraglacial inputs increasing in importance as the channelized efficient system fully develops. To test these hypotheses, we sampled three outlet glaciers of the GrIS with different catchment sizes (from biggest to smallest: Isunnguata Sermia, Leverett and Russell glaciers) over the 2018 summer. Meltwater samples were taken at the same time each day over a period of three weeks to catch temporal patterns of microbial assemblages. DNA was extracted from samples, and 16S rRNA gene amplicons sequenced to characterize assemblage structure.This study will help us better understand the meltwater hydrology of the GrIS by describing patterns in its microbial export and the degree of influence from supra- and subglacial systems. In this current age of glacier recession, it is furthermore important to make these characterizations as we might not have opportunity in near future to investigate them in the same unchanged environment.

Much work has been performed to investigate controls on nitrogen (N) uptake in streams, yet the fate of assimilated N is comparatively poorly resolved. Here, we use in‐stream fixed N as an isotopic tracer to study the fate of assimilated N in glacial meltwater streams. We characterized δ15N signatures of Oscillatorean, Chlorophyte, and N‐fixing Nostoc mats over the lengths of two streams, and transported particulate organic matter (POM) in one. POM was isotopically most similar to Nostoc, which always had values near the atmospheric standard (δ15N ≅ 0‰), suggesting N‐fixation. Other mat types were depleted upstream, and became progressively enriched downstream (plateauing at δ15N ≅ 0‰), indicating a shift in N source. These results collectively show that Nostoc‐derived N is mobilized, mineralized, and increasingly assimilated downstream as more depleted glacier‐derived N is exhausted, demonstrating the importance of organic matter processing to balancing elemental budgets, and improving our understanding of nutrient cycling in lotic environments.

Clearwater Mesa (James Ross Island, northeast Antarctic Peninsula) provides a unique opportunity to study solute dynamics and geochemical weathering in the pristine lacustrine systems of a high latitude environment. In order to determine major controls on the solute composition of these habitats, a geochemical survey was conducted on 35 lakes. Differences between lakes were observed based on measured physico-chemical parameters, revealing neutral to alkaline waters with total dissolved solids (TDS) < 2500 mg L−1. Katerina and Trinidad-Tatana systems showed an increase in their respective TDS, total organic carbon values, and finner sediments from external to internal lakes, indicating an accumulation of solutes due to weathering. Norma and Florencia systems exhibited the most diluted and circumneutral waters, likely from the influence of glacier and snow melt. Finally, isolated lakes presented large variability in TDS values, indicating weathering and meltwater contributions at different proportions. Trace metal abundances revealed a volcanic mineral weathering source, except for Pb and Zn, which could potentially indicate atmospheric inputs. Geochemical modelling was also conducted on a subset of connected lakes to gain greater insight into processes determining solute composition, resulting in the weathering of salts, carbonates and silicates with the corresponding generation of clays. We found CO2 consumption accounted for 20–30% of the total species involved in weathering reactions. These observations allow insights into naturally occurring geochemical processes in a pristine environment, while also providing baseline data for future research assessing the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and the effects of climate change. Fil: Lecomte, Karina Leticia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentina Fil: Vignoni, Paula A.. German Research Centre for Geosciences; Alemania. Universitat Potsdam; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Echegoyen, Cecilia Vanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentina Fil: Santolaya, María Pía. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina Fil: Kopalová, Katerina. Charles University; República Checa Fil: Kohler, Tyler J.. Charles University; República Checa. Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Roman, Matej. Masaryk University; República Checa Fil: Coria, Silvia Herminda. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina Fil: Lirio, Juan Manuel. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

This article presents analytical observations on physicochemical parameters and major and trace element concentrations of water, ice, and sediment samples from the lake systems of Clearwater Mesa (CWM), northeast Antarctic Peninsula. Geochemical analyses include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for cations and trace elements and ion chromatography for anions. Some figures are included (i.e. Piper and Gibbs diagrams) which indicate water classification type and rock-water interactions in CWM, respectively. It also contains PHREEQC software output, listing the chemical speciation for dissolved elements, Saturation Indexes (SI), and modelling outputs. Each lake SI are also illustrated in a figure. Finally, total organic and inorganic carbon (TOC and TIC, respectively) were determined for bottom lake sediments and marginal salt samples. This information will be useful for future research assessing the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and the effects of climate change, providing insights into naturally occurring geochemical processes in a pristine environment, and evaluating geochemical behaviour of dissolved elements in high-latitude hydrological systems. These data correspond to the research article “Dissolved major and trace geochemical dynamics in Antarctic Lacustrine Systems” [1]. Fil: Lecomte, Karina Leticia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentina Fil: Echegoyen, Cecilia Vanina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentina Fil: Vignoni, Paula A.. Universitat Potsdam; Alemania. German Research Centre for Geosciences; Alemania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Kopalová, Katerina. Charles University; República Checa Fil: Kohler, Tyler J.. Charles University; República Checa. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Coria, Silvia Herminda. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina Fil: Lirio, Juan Manuel. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina

Summary Microorganisms are flushed from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) where they may contribute towards the nutrient cycling and community compositions of downstream ecosystems. We investigate meltwater microbial assemblages as they exit the GrIS from a large outlet glacier, and as they enter a downstream river delta during the record melt year of 2012. Prokaryotic abundance, flux and community composition was studied, and factors affecting community structures were statistically considered. The mean concentration of cells exiting the ice sheet was 8.30 × 104 cells mL−1 and we estimate that ∼1.02 × 1021 cells were transported to the downstream fjord in 2012, equivalent to 30.95 Mg of carbon. Prokaryotic microbial assemblages were dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. Cell concentrations and community compositions were stable throughout the sample period, and were statistically similar at both sample sites. Based on our observations, we argue that the subglacial environment is the primary source of the river-transported microbiota, and that cell export from the GrIS is dependent on discharge. We hypothesise that the release of subglacial microbiota to downstream ecosystems will increase as freshwater flux from the GrIS rises in a warming world.

Subglacial chemical weathering plays a key role in global silicate weathering budgets, contributing to the cycling of silicon (Si) in terrestrial and marine systems and the potential drawdown of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Here, we use data from two Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) catchments to demonstrate how Si isotopes from dissolved and amorphous particulate fractions (delta(DSi)-D-30 and delta(3)(0)ASi respectively) can be used together with major ion data to assess the degree of secondary silicate weathering product formation and redissolution in subglacial environments. We compare a time-series of summer melt seasons from the two study sites, which differ in catchment size (similar to 600 km(2) for Leverett Glacier (LG) and similar to 36 km(2) for Kiattuut Sermiat (KS)). Subglacial waters from LG have elevated Na+ and K+ ions in relation to Ca (2+) and Mg2+ ions, indicating a predominance of silicate weathering, whilst meltwaters from KS are characterised by carbonate weathering (hydrolysis and carbonation) throughout the melt season. Both catchments have mean delta(DSi)-D-30 values substantially lower than average riverine values (KS 0.41 parts per thousand, LG -0.25 parts per thousand, versus a global riverine mean of 1.25 parts per thousand) and display a seasonal decline, which is more pronounced at LG. The delta(30)ASi values (discharge weighted mean values KS -0.44 parts per thousand, LG -0.22 parts per thousand) are lighter than the bedrock (mean values KS -0.18 +/- 0.12 parts per thousand, LG 0.00 +/- 0.07 parts per thousand) in both catchments, indicating a secondary weathering product origin or leaching of lighter isotopes during initial weathering of crushed rock. When used in combination, the major ion and silicon isotope data reveal that the extent of silicate weathering and secondary phase redissolution are more pronounced at LG compared to KS. Contrasting weathering regimes and subglacial hydrology between catchments need to be considered when estimating the delta Si-30 composition of silica exported into polar oceans from the GrIS, with larger catchments likely to produce fluxes of lighter delta Si-30. As larger catchments dominate freshwater export to the ocean, GrIS meltwater is likely to be very light in isotopic composition, and the flux is likely to increase with ice melt as the climate warms. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diatoms are important ecological indicators in Antarctica, and paleolimnologists routinely apply transfer functions to fossil diatoms recovered from lake sediments to reconstruct past environments. However, living diatom communities may differ among the possible habitat types represented in sediment cores (both within lakes and their immediate proximity), hindering the full and accurate interpretation of fossil records. Therefore, an improved understanding of Antarctic diatom habitat preferences would substantially aid in interpreting regional paleo-material. To gain insights into habitat differences, we sampled epipelon, epilithon, Nostoc mats, lake-adjacent moss, and wet soil from > 30 lakes and ponds from Clearwater Mesa, James Ross Island, spanning a broad gradient in conductivity (a common basis for transfer functions). We found that diatom communities significantly differed between habitat types (although abundances were too low in Nostoc mats to characterize communities), with the clearest distinctions being between submerged (epipelon and epilithon) and exposed (moss and wet soil) groups. Submerged habitat types had greater abundances of attached aquatic taxa (i.e. Gomphonema spp.), while exposed habitats harboured more abundant aerophilic genera (e.g. Hantzschia, Luticola, and Pinnularia). Furthermore, only epilithon communities were significantly related to conductivity, and both epipelon and epilithon habitats showed conspicuous increases in Denticula jamesrossensis at greater conductivity values. Collectively, these results improve our knowledge of limno-terrestrial diatoms from the Maritime Antarctic Region, and further highlight the utility of incorporating knowledge of habitat preferences into (paleo)ecological research.

Ice sheets are currently ignored in global methane budgets 1,2 . Although ice sheets have been proposed to contain large reserves of methane that may contribute to a rise in atmospheric methane concentration if released during periods of rapid ice retreat 3,4 , no data exist on the current methane footprint of ice sheets. Here we find that subglacially produced methane is rapidly driven to the ice margin by the efficient drainage system of a subglacial catchment of the Greenland ice sheet. We report the continuous export of methane-supersaturated waters (CH 4(aq) ) from the ice-sheet bed during the melt season. Pulses of high CH 4(aq) concentration coincide with supraglacially forced subglacial flushing events, confirming a subglacial source and highlighting the influence of melt on methane export. Sustained methane fluxes over the melt season are indicative of subglacial methane reserves that exceed methane export, with an estimated 6.3 tonnes (discharge-weighted mean; range from 2.4 to 11 tonnes) of CH 4(aq) transported laterally from the ice-sheet bed. Stable-isotope analyses reveal a microbial origin for methane, probably from a mixture of inorganic and ancient organic carbon buried beneath the ice. We show that subglacial hydrology is crucial for controlling methane fluxes from the ice sheet, with efficient drainage limiting the extent of methane oxidation 5 to about 17 per cent of methane exported. Atmospheric evasion is the main methane sink once runoff reaches the ice margin, with estimated diffusive fluxes (4.4 to 28 millimoles of CH 4 per square metre per day) rivalling that of major world rivers 6 . Overall, our results indicate that ice sheets overlie extensive, biologically active methanogenic wetlands and that high rates of methane export to the atmosphere can occur via efficient subglacial drainage pathways. Our findings suggest that such environments have been previously underappreciated and should be considered in Earth’s methane budget.

Glacial environments play an important role in high-latitude marine nutrient cycling, potentially contributing significant fluxes of silicon (Si) to the polar oceans, either as dissolved silicon (DSi) or as dissolvable amorphous silica (ASi). Silicon is a key nutrient in promoting marine primary productivity, contributing to atmospheric CO 2 removal. We present the current understanding of Si cycling in glacial systems, focusing on the Si isotope (δ 30 Si) composition of glacial meltwaters. We combine existing glacial δ 30 Si data with new measurements from 20 sub-Arctic glaciers, showing that glacial meltwaters consistently export isotopically light DSi compared with non-glacial rivers (+0.16‰ versus +1.38‰). Glacial δ 30 Si ASi composition ranges from −0.05‰ to −0.86‰ but exhibits low seasonal variability. Silicon fluxes and δ 30 Si composition from glacial systems are not commonly included in global Si budgets and isotopic mass balance calculations at present. We discuss outstanding questions, including the formation mechanism of ASi and the export of glacial nutrients from fjords. Finally, we provide a contextual framework for the recent advances in our understanding of subglacial Si cycling and highlight critical research avenues for assessing potential future changes in these environments.