01902nas a2200181 4500008004100000245011100041210006900152260003900221490000900260520124000269653001901509653002401528653002601552653001801578100002601596700002901622856006901651 2020 eng d00aResponse of microbial communities to climatic disturbances in Lake Bonney, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aResponse of microbial communities to climatic disturbances in La aOxford, OHbMiami Universityc20200 vM.S.3 a

The McMurdo Dry Valleys is a polar desert ecosystem which composes the largest ice-free area in Antarctica, with the exception of perennially ice-covered lakes and ponds. The lakes in the valleys are the only landscape unit that support metabolic activity year-round. Recent increases in air temperature and solar radiation have led to a chain of disturbances altering the environmental conditions of these lakes. In this study, we test the impact of climatic disturbances on microbial communities in Lake Bonney, one of the lakes in the MDV. Through an integrated approach of combining field studies on natural communities in the lake (in situ) and laboratory experiments on algal isolates (ex situ), this study will attempt to understand how phytoplankton, eukaryal and bacterial communities respond to simulated disturbances. Results from the in situ experiments showed that the moat is a unique and stressful environment for under-ice communities and that under-ice shallow communities are highly sensitive to climatic disturbances. The ex situ experiments showed that certain phytoplankton species, like the chlorophytes, are more resistant to environmental alterations and thus will outcompete other phytoplankton species.

10aclimate change10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10amicrobial communities10aphytoplankton1 aSherwell, Shasten, S.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttp://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami159595868836487702573nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245010400055210006900159260001200228300001400240490000700254520177600261653002002037653002102057653001502078653001702093653002402110653001202134653002502146100001202171700002002183700001602203700002902219856005902248 2019 eng d a0948-305500aDrivers of protistan community autotrophy and heterotrophy in chemically stratified Antarctic lakes0 aDrivers of protistan community autotrophy and heterotrophy in ch c01/2019 a225 - 2390 v823 a

Single-celled, eukaryotic microorganisms, known as protists, are responsible for 2 important, yet opposing, metabolic activities within aquatic food webs. They are major primary producers and highly active predators in marine and fresh water systems. While genomics has accelerated in recent years for this taxonomically diverse group, our understanding of the metabolic capabilities of most protists remains limited. It is also poorly understood how protist trophic mode is affected by biotic and abiotic factors, and therefore it is difficult to predict how events such as global climate change will affect the balance between autotrophic and heterotrophic activities in protist communities. To address open questions regarding how protist metabolic versatility is influenced by their environment, we characterized the potential for carbon fixation versus organic carbon degradation using enzymatic assays (RubisCO and β-D-glucosaminidase, respectively) within the water columns of ice-covered lakes in McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica. Steep physical and chemical gradients in the water columns, microorganism domination and minimal allochthonous inputs makes the MDV lakes uniquely suited to investigate environment-microbe interactions. Spatial trends in RubisCO and β-D-glucosaminidase activities were lake-specific and vertically stratified within the water columns. Moreover, bottom-up drivers controlling the activity of C-fixation vs. organic C-degradation among the MDV protist communities were distinct between the upper photic vs. the deep, aphotic zones. We conclude that differential controls over major C-cycling enzymes have important implications on the influence of environmental change on the carbon and nutrient cycles in the MDV lakes.

10aAntarctic lakes10aAquatic protists10aAutotrophy10aHeterotrophy10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10aRubisCO10aβ-D-glucosaminidase1 aLi, Wei1 aDolhi-Binder, J1 aCariani, ZE1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://www.int-res.com/abstracts/ame/v82/n3/p225-239/02158nas a2200229 4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260003900213490000900252520137700261653001001638653002801648653003801676653002401714653001901738653001801757653002301775653001601798100001601814700002901830856006901859 2019 eng d00aImpact of simulated polar night on Antarctic mixotrophic and strict photoautotrophic phytoplankton0 aImpact of simulated polar night on Antarctic mixotrophic and str aOxford, OHbMiami Universityc20180 vM.S.3 a

Phytoplankton in polar regions experience long periods of continuous darkness annually during the polar night. Due to difficulties in performing field work during this period, it is largely unknown how phytoplankton endure this extreme transition from 24-hour daylight in the fall to several months of total darkness in the austral winter. The primary goal of this study was to compare physiological and photosynthetic responses of several Antarctic phytoplankton of variable trophic abilities (pure photosynthetic vs. mixotrophic) to simulated polar night conditions, including the transition seasons before and after winter. Two distinct responses were observed to extended darkness: (1) strict photoautotrophs (Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV and Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241) exhibited functional downregulation their photosynthetic processes in the winter, followed by a lag phase of several days during mimicked spring, and (2) mixotrophs (Isochrysis sp. MDV and Geminigera cryophila) maintained functional photosynthetic apparatus, increased heterotrophy through the winter, and exhibited immediate growth upon return to light incubation. These differing responses to mimicked polar night conditions could represent two different strategies for surviving the long period of darkness in the phytoplankton’s natural environment.

10aalgae10aAntarctic phytoplankton10achlorophyll fluorescence analysis10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10aPhotosynthesis10aphytoplankton10apolar microbiology10apolar night1 aCariani, ZE1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttp://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami154720459996908102691nas a2200229 4500008004100000022001400041245015500055210006900210260001200279490000700291520189400298653003402192653001902226653002402245653002202269653002302291100002202314700001202336700002002348700002902368856006402397 2017 eng d a0722-406000aImpact of nitrogen and phosphorus on phytoplankton production and bacterial community structure in two stratified Antarctic lakes: a bioassay approach0 aImpact of nitrogen and phosphorus on phytoplankton production an c05/20170 v403 a

Arctic, Antarctic, and alpine ecosystems are recognized as sensors and sentinels of global change. As a consequence of their high sensitivity to minor climatic perturbations, permanently ice-covered lakes located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, represent end members in the global network of inland bodies of water. Episodic climatic events in the form of increased summer glacial melt result in inputs of organic sediment and nutrients from glacial streams to these closed basins. Phytoplankton communities residing in the oligotrophic water columns are highly responsive to pulses in nutrient availability; however, there is a lack of understanding on whether specific phytoplankton groups are more competitive during a summer flood event and how shifts in the phytoplankton community may influence heterotrophic bacteria. A bioassay approach in 3-l bottles was used to investigate the influence of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus availability on planktonic communities from the oligotrophic upper waters of two chemically distinct MDV lakes (Lakes Bonney and Fryxell) which differ in their external inputs and water column N/P stoichiometry. While microbial community responses varied between lakes and were nutrient-dependent, stimulation of phytoplankton biomass and productivity across all treatments was strongly linked with increased abundance of a single phytoplankton phylum (Chlorophyta). Despite stimulation of phytoplankton growth, primary and bacterial productivity was generally uncoupled; however, shifts in bacterial community diversity were observed in bioassays amended with either P or NP. We suggest that climate-associated increases in phytoplankton production and concomitant shifts in diversity will influence MDV bacterial community structure by altering the availability and composition of autochthonous carbon for heterotrophic production.

10aAlgal–bacteria interactions10aclimate change10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10aNutrient bioassay10aPrimary production1 aTeufel, Amber, G.1 aLi, Wei1 aKiss, Andor, J.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-016-2025-804197nas a2200253 4500008004100000245012900041210006900170260003900239490001000278520331600288653001503604653002503619653002903644653002903673653002103702653001903723653002403742653002303766653001703789653002303806100002203829700002903851856006303880 2016 eng d00aInfluence of abiotic drivers (light and nutrients) on photobiology and diversity of Antarctic lake phytoplankton communities0 aInfluence of abiotic drivers light and nutrients on photobiology aOxford, OHbMiami Universityc20160 vPh.D.3 a

Arctic, Antarctic, and alpine ecosystems are recognized as sensors and sentinels of global climate change. As a consequence of their high sensitivity to minor climatic perturbations, permanently ice-covered lakes located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MCM), Antarctica, represent end members in the global network of inland bodies of water. Episodic climatic events in the form of increased summer glacial melt result in inputs of organic sediment and nutrients from glacial streams to these closed basins. By better understanding how Antarctic lake communities respond to mimicked climate change, we can more accurately predict how they will react to further temperature changes in the future. We began by investigating the influence of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus availability on planktonic communities residing in the oligotrophic upper waters of two chemically distinct MCM lakes (Lakes Bonney and Fryxell) which differ in their external inputs as well as water column N:P stoichiometry. Although microbial community responses varied between the lakes and were nutrient-dependent, stimulation of phytoplankton biomass and productivity across all treatments was strongly linked with increased abundance of a single phytoplankton phylum (Chlorophyta). Despite stimulation of phytoplankton growth, primary and bacterial productivity were largely uncoupled across all enrichments. We suggest that climate-associated shifts in phytoplankton diversity influence the bacterial community structure by altering the availability and composition of autochthonous carbon for heterotrophic production. To monitor the physiological adaptations that occur over time and depth, we then transplanted two dominant phytoplankton, Chlamydomonas sp. ICE- MDV and Isochrysis sp. MDV back into the Lake Bonney water column. Our results demonstrated that both organisms are specialists for surviving specific depths of the water column and are capable of acclimating to their native environment within a short period of time, and that the chlorophyte Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV most likely makes this adjustment via photoacclimation and accumulating chlorophyll-a per cell. The final study presented here investigated whether or not the dominant chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV has retained the ability to respond to a diel 12-hour day/night cycle. Although light levels in MCM lakes remain low during the austral summers, daily irradiation varies by as much as tenfold during the course of the day, resulting in a circadian-like light cycle for organisms residing there. With decreased ice coverage on the lakes due to climate change and increased melt, it is likely that these light variations will become amplified over time. This study tested for the presence of a circadian rhythm under various light quality, light quantity, and temperature conditions and demonstrated that although a diel rhythm was maintained in terms of growth and several photochemical parameters, a true circadian rhythm was not identified. Although it is predicted that photosynthetic communities in polar regions will be more responsive to climate warming and episodic events, the complexity of these systems provides numerous challenges to understanding how these organism will adapt in the future.

10aAntarctica10abacterial production10aChlamydomonas sp ICE MDV10aChlorophyll fluorescence10acircadian rhythm10aclimate change10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10anutrient amendment10aphotobiology10aPrimary production1 aTeufel, Amber, G.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M. uhttp://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1468411564