Inland aquatic biodiversity in Antarctica

• Main Authors: Hawes, Ian, Jungblut, Anne D., Elster, Josef, Van de Vijver, Bart, Mikucki, Jill
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Antarctic Environments Portal 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.18124/439s-wk64; https://environments.aq/information-summaries/inland-aquatic-biodiversity-in-antarctica/

Studies of Antarctic inland waters have been underway for more than a hundred years. Biodiversity is impoverished compared to other climatic zones and, for most groups of organisms, decreases from the Antarctic Peninsula, through the Coastal Oases to Continental deserts. Many groups of organisms have failed to colonise or survive in Antarctica allowing microbes to predominate in many food webs, especially at high latitudes. Modern molecular biology techniques offer promise towards elucidating patterns of biodiversity among poorly understood Antarctic microbial and viral communities. Subglacial aquatic environments may represent the vast majority of Antarctic inland waters, yet remain largely unexplored. The Antarctic aquatic biota includes organisms and species or strains that are unique to all, or parts, of Antarctica. The greatest threat comes from non-native species, both from outside and from other parts of the continent. Existing protected areas contain inland waters representing most lake types, but geographic coverage is sparse and unrepresentative overall, in terms of current bioregion designations. : Conservation Antarctic bioregions Antarctic inland waters Aquatic biodiversity