Diversity and Ecology of Cyanobacterial Microflora of Antarctic Seepage Habitats: Comparison of King George Island, Shetland Islands, and James Ross Island, NW Weddell Sea, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Komárek, O. (Ondřej), Komárek, J. (Jiří)
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: cyanobacterial Microflora; antarctic seepage habitats; Antarctica; NW Weddell Sea; comparison of King George Island; Antarc*; Antarctic; James Ross Island; King George Island; permafrost; Ross Island; Weddell Sea
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3799-2_27; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0196502

Antarctic seepages are a unique biotope with special communities of algae and cyanobacteria, characterized by their unique species composition and life strategies. The seepages are supplied by melting water from permafrost, glaciers, and snow fields. Filamentous cyanobacteria are the first colonizers; they fill the space of the shallow water body and form algal mats on the surface of flooded soils. Algal communities in Antarctic seepages are characterized by special zonation and seasonality. They are important components of the Antarctic coastal ecosystems, and they are highly sensitive to climatic changes and fluctuations during the polar summer season. The study of the taxonomy and ecology of the individual populations is highly important for the protection of this biotope. This review compares the characteristic mat communities from two disparate Antarctic coastal ecosystems: maritime Antarctica – King George Island and NW Weddell Sea – James Ross Island.