Exploration of the microbial diversity and assessment of the environmental impact in the region of the Antarctic research station 'Princess Elisabeth'

• Main Authors: De Smet, Wim, D'Haese, Cyrill, Elster, Josef, Ertz, Damien, Fernandez-Carazo, Rafael, Mangold, Alexander, Mano, Marie José, Namsaraev, Zorigto, Obbels, Dagmar, Peeters, Karolien, Roberts, Steve, Tavernier, Ines, Van Nieuwenhuyze, Wim, Van de Vijver, Bart, Van Wichelen, Jeroen, Verleyen, Elie, Vyverman, Wim, Willems, Anne, Wilmotte, Annick
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Earth and Environmental Sciences; Princess Elisabeth Station; microbial diversity; Antarctica; ANTAR-IMPACT; BELDIVA; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Austral; Utsteinen; Utsteinen Nunatak; Antarc*; Snow Petrel; Rotifer
• Online Access: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/978404; http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-978404

The purpose of the BelSPO project ANTAR-IMPACT is to contribute to the evaluation of the impact of the construction and operation of the Princess Elisabeth Station on the environment, particularly on the microbial biodiversity. The necessary baseline data on the biodiversity (incl. microbial) that was present prior to the construction can be obtained thanks to the samples taken in 2007. These data will be available for immediate and long-term evaluation of the environmental impact of the Station. The results will complete the Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation report that was communicated to the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), a body set up by the Madrid Protocol. With the station, scientists have a unique opportunity to follow the effect of a station in a region previously devoid of human impact. Indeed, most of the Antarctic stations were constructed many years before the protocol of Madrid became operational, so that there are no data on the original state of these sites. Field observations, microscopy and molecular analyses (including DGGE and sequencing of cultured organisms) of terrestrial samples from the Utsteinen nunatak and ridge showed the presence of three bird species (Snow Petrel, South Polar Skua and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel), 21 lichen species, 1 moss species, 12 morphotypes of cyanobacteria, at least 880 strains of cultured bacteria, 9 different sequences of chlorophytes, a rotifer community but no diatoms. Sampling campaigns in 2009 and 2010 within the BelSPO funded BELDIVA project, contribute to the monitoring, and expand the geographical range of the studies to other locations, habitats (e.g. cryoconites) and organisms (e.g. collembola) near the Sör Rondane Mountains. Our results revealed that granite outcrops situated in a 20 km circle around the Station harbor a large cyanobacterial diversity. Open top chambers (OTC) were installed during the Austral summer of 2010 to predict the effect of further warming on the microbial communities. The first measurements revealed that the ...