Ice Melt-Induced Variations of Structural and Functional Traits of the Aquatic Microbial Community along an Arctic River (Pasvik River, Norway)

The effects of climate change-induced ice melting on the microbial communities in different glacial-fed aquatic systems have been reported, but seasonal dynamics remain poorly investigated. In this study, the structural and functional traits of the aquatic microbial community were assessed along wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water
Main Authors: Papale, Maria, Rizzo, Carmen, Caruso, Gabriella, Amalfitano, Stefano, Maimone, Giovanna, Miserocchi, Stefano, La Ferla, Rosabruna, Aspholm, Paul Eric, Decembrini, Franco, Azzaro, Filippo, Conte, Antonella, Graziano, Marco, Rappazzo, Alessandro Ciro, Lo Giudice, Angelina, Azzaro, Maurizio
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Water Science and Technology
Aquatic Science
Geography
Planning and Development
Biochemistry
Arctic
Norway
Pasvik
Climate change
Online Access:https://www.openaccessrepository.it/record/154168
https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162297
Description
Summary:The effects of climate change-induced ice melting on the microbial communities in different glacial-fed aquatic systems have been reported, but seasonal dynamics remain poorly investigated. In this study, the structural and functional traits of the aquatic microbial community were assessed along with the hydrological and biogeochemical variation patterns of the Arctic Pasvik River under riverine and brackish conditions at the beginning (May = Ice-melt (−)) and during the ice-melting season (July = Ice-melt (+)). The microbial abundance and morphometric analysis showed a spatial diversification between the riverine and brackish stations. Results highlighted different levels of microbial respiration and activities with different carbon and phosphorous utilization pathways, thus suggesting an active biogeochemical cycling along the river especially at the beginning of the ice-melting period. At Ice-melt (−), Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were dominant in riverine and brackish stations, respectively. Conversely, at Ice-melt (+), the microbial community composition was more homogeneously distributed along the river (Gammaproteobacteria > Alphaproteobacteria > Bacteroidetes). Our findings provide evidence on how riverine microbial communities adapt and respond to seasonal ice melting in glacial-fed aquatic ecosystems.

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