The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats
Abstract Sunlight penetrates the ice surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, forming a water‐bearing porous ice matrix known as the weathering crust. This crust is home to a significant microbial community. Despite the potential implications of microbial processes in the weathering crust for glacial me...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 |
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crwiley:10.1111/1462-2920.16617 2024-06-02T08:02:27+00:00 The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats Rassner, Sara M. E. Cook, Joseph M. Mitchell, Andrew C. Stevens, Ian T. Irvine‐Fynn, Tristram D. L. Hodson, Andrew J. Edwards, Arwyn 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Environmental Microbiology volume 26, issue 4 ISSN 1462-2912 1462-2920 journal-article 2024 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 2024-05-03T11:57:26Z Abstract Sunlight penetrates the ice surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, forming a water‐bearing porous ice matrix known as the weathering crust. This crust is home to a significant microbial community. Despite the potential implications of microbial processes in the weathering crust for glacial melting, biogeochemical cycles, and downstream ecosystems, there have been few explorations of its microbial communities. In our study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics of a Svalbard glacier surface catchment to characterise the microbial communities within the weathering crust, their origins and destinies, and the functional potential of the weathering crust metagenome. Our findings reveal that the bacterial community in the weathering crust is distinct from those in upstream and downstream habitats. However, it comprises two separate micro‐habitats, each with different taxa and functional categories. The interstitial porewater is dominated by Polaromonas , influenced by the transfer of snowmelt, and exported via meltwater channels. In contrast, the ice matrix is dominated by Hymenobacter , and its metagenome exhibits a diverse range of functional adaptations. Given that the global weathering crust area and the subsequent release of microbes from it are strongly responsive to climate projections for the rest of the century, our results underscore the pressing need to integrate the microbiome of the weathering crust with other communities and processes in glacial ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic glacier Svalbard Wiley Online Library Arctic Svalbard Environmental Microbiology 26 4 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract Sunlight penetrates the ice surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, forming a water‐bearing porous ice matrix known as the weathering crust. This crust is home to a significant microbial community. Despite the potential implications of microbial processes in the weathering crust for glacial melting, biogeochemical cycles, and downstream ecosystems, there have been few explorations of its microbial communities. In our study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics of a Svalbard glacier surface catchment to characterise the microbial communities within the weathering crust, their origins and destinies, and the functional potential of the weathering crust metagenome. Our findings reveal that the bacterial community in the weathering crust is distinct from those in upstream and downstream habitats. However, it comprises two separate micro‐habitats, each with different taxa and functional categories. The interstitial porewater is dominated by Polaromonas , influenced by the transfer of snowmelt, and exported via meltwater channels. In contrast, the ice matrix is dominated by Hymenobacter , and its metagenome exhibits a diverse range of functional adaptations. Given that the global weathering crust area and the subsequent release of microbes from it are strongly responsive to climate projections for the rest of the century, our results underscore the pressing need to integrate the microbiome of the weathering crust with other communities and processes in glacial ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rassner, Sara M. E. Cook, Joseph M. Mitchell, Andrew C. Stevens, Ian T. Irvine‐Fynn, Tristram D. L. Hodson, Andrew J. Edwards, Arwyn |
spellingShingle |
Rassner, Sara M. E. Cook, Joseph M. Mitchell, Andrew C. Stevens, Ian T. Irvine‐Fynn, Tristram D. L. Hodson, Andrew J. Edwards, Arwyn The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
author_facet |
Rassner, Sara M. E. Cook, Joseph M. Mitchell, Andrew C. Stevens, Ian T. Irvine‐Fynn, Tristram D. L. Hodson, Andrew J. Edwards, Arwyn |
author_sort |
Rassner, Sara M. E. |
title |
The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
title_short |
The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
title_full |
The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
title_fullStr |
The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
title_full_unstemmed |
The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
title_sort |
distinctive weathering crust habitat of a high arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro‐habitats |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic glacier Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic glacier Svalbard |
op_source |
Environmental Microbiology volume 26, issue 4 ISSN 1462-2912 1462-2920 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 |
container_title |
Environmental Microbiology |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
4 |
_version_ |
1800746937714999296 |