Exploring benthic diatom diversity in the West Antarctic Peninsula: insights from a morphological and molecular approach ...

• Main Authors: Schimani, Katherina, Abarca Mejia, Nelida De La Cruz, Skibbe, Oliver, Mohamad, Heba, Jahn, Regine, Kusber, Wolf-Henning, Campana, Gabriela Laura, Zimmermann, Jonas
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Freie Universität Berlin 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic Peninsula; benthic diatoms; DNA metabarcoding; morphology; rbcL; taxonomic reference library; unialgal cultures; 18SV4; 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-41596; https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/41875

Polar regions are among the most extreme habitats on Earth. However, diatom biodiversity in those regions is much more extensive and ecologically diverse than previously thought. The objective of this study was to add knowledge to benthic diatom biodiversity in Western Antarctic coastal zones via identification by means of morphology, DNA metabarcoding and cultured isolates. In addition, a taxonomically validated reference library for Antarctic benthic diatoms was established with comprehensive information on habitat, morphology and DNA barcodes (rbcL and 18SV4). Benthic samples from marine, brackish and freshwater habitats were taken at the Antarctic Peninsula. A total of 162 clonal cultures were established, resulting in the identification of 60 taxa. The combination of total morphological richness of 174 taxa, including the clones, with an additional 73 taxa just assigned by metabarcoding resulted in 247 infrageneric taxa. Of those taxa, 33 were retrieved by all three methods and 111 only by morphology. ...