Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future
“Glacier algae” grow on melting glacier and ice sheet surfaces across the cryosphere, causing the ice to absorb more solar energy and consequently melt faster, while also turning over carbon and nutrients. This makes glacier algal assemblages, which are typically dominated by just three main species...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:c695f89f88ee4278a744fef02ca59dee 2023-05-15T16:40:53+02:00 Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future Christopher J. Williamson Karen A. Cameron Joseph M. Cook Jakub D. Zarsky Marek Stibal Arwyn Edwards 2019-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 https://doaj.org/article/c695f89f88ee4278a744fef02ca59dee EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-302X 1664-302X doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 https://doaj.org/article/c695f89f88ee4278a744fef02ca59dee Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol 10 (2019) glacier algae Streptophytes albedo terrestrialization ice Microbiology QR1-502 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 2022-12-31T15:03:18Z “Glacier algae” grow on melting glacier and ice sheet surfaces across the cryosphere, causing the ice to absorb more solar energy and consequently melt faster, while also turning over carbon and nutrients. This makes glacier algal assemblages, which are typically dominated by just three main species, a potentially important yet under-researched component of the global biosphere, carbon, and water cycles. This review synthesizes current knowledge on glacier algae phylogenetics, physiology, and ecology. We discuss their significance for the evolution of early land plants and highlight their impacts on the physical and chemical supraglacial environment including their role as drivers of positive feedbacks to climate warming, thereby demonstrating their influence on Earth’s past and future. Four complementary research priorities are identified, which will facilitate broad advances in glacier algae research, including establishment of reliable culture collections, sequencing of glacier algae genomes, development of diagnostic biosignatures for remote sensing, and improved predictive modeling of glacier algae biological-albedo effects. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Frontiers in Microbiology 10 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
glacier algae Streptophytes albedo terrestrialization ice Microbiology QR1-502 |
spellingShingle |
glacier algae Streptophytes albedo terrestrialization ice Microbiology QR1-502 Christopher J. Williamson Karen A. Cameron Joseph M. Cook Jakub D. Zarsky Marek Stibal Arwyn Edwards Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
topic_facet |
glacier algae Streptophytes albedo terrestrialization ice Microbiology QR1-502 |
description |
“Glacier algae” grow on melting glacier and ice sheet surfaces across the cryosphere, causing the ice to absorb more solar energy and consequently melt faster, while also turning over carbon and nutrients. This makes glacier algal assemblages, which are typically dominated by just three main species, a potentially important yet under-researched component of the global biosphere, carbon, and water cycles. This review synthesizes current knowledge on glacier algae phylogenetics, physiology, and ecology. We discuss their significance for the evolution of early land plants and highlight their impacts on the physical and chemical supraglacial environment including their role as drivers of positive feedbacks to climate warming, thereby demonstrating their influence on Earth’s past and future. Four complementary research priorities are identified, which will facilitate broad advances in glacier algae research, including establishment of reliable culture collections, sequencing of glacier algae genomes, development of diagnostic biosignatures for remote sensing, and improved predictive modeling of glacier algae biological-albedo effects. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Christopher J. Williamson Karen A. Cameron Joseph M. Cook Jakub D. Zarsky Marek Stibal Arwyn Edwards |
author_facet |
Christopher J. Williamson Karen A. Cameron Joseph M. Cook Jakub D. Zarsky Marek Stibal Arwyn Edwards |
author_sort |
Christopher J. Williamson |
title |
Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
title_short |
Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
title_full |
Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
title_fullStr |
Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
title_full_unstemmed |
Glacier Algae: A Dark Past and a Darker Future |
title_sort |
glacier algae: a dark past and a darker future |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 https://doaj.org/article/c695f89f88ee4278a744fef02ca59dee |
genre |
Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol 10 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-302X 1664-302X doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 https://doaj.org/article/c695f89f88ee4278a744fef02ca59dee |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00524 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Microbiology |
container_volume |
10 |
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1766031301756846080 |