02753nas a2200325 4500008004100000022001400041245011500055210007300170260001200243300001800255490000800273520178400281653001002065653001402075653001602089653000802105653001002113653001002123653001402133653001102147100002802158700002102186700003302207700002202240700002202262700002402284700002902308700002102337856006902358 2021 eng d a2169-895300aYear‐round and long‐term phytoplankton dynamics in Lake Bonney, a permanently ice‐covered Antarctic lake0 aYear‐round and long‐term phytoplankton dynamics in Lake Bonney a c04/2021 ae2020JG0059250 v1263 a

Lake Bonney (McMurdo Dry Valleys, east Antarctica) represents a year‐round refugium for life adapted to permanent extreme conditions. Despite intensive research since the 1960s, due to the logistical constraints posed by 4‐months of 24‐h darkness, knowledge of how the resident photosynthetic microorganisms respond to the polar winter is limited. In addition, the lake level has risen by more than 3 m since 2004: impacts of rapid lake level rise on phytoplankton community structure is also poorly understood. From 2004 to 2015 an in situ submersible spectrofluorometer (bbe FluoroProbe) was deployed in Lake Bonney during the austral summer to quantify the vertical structure of four functional algal groups (green algae, mixed algae, and cryptophytes, cyanobacteria). During the 2013–2014 field season the Fluoroprobe was mounted on autonomous cable‐crawling profilers deployed in both the east and west lobes of Lake Bonney, obtaining the first daily phytoplankton profiles through the polar night. Our findings showed that phytoplankton communities were differentially impacted by physical and chemical factors over long‐term versus seasonal time scales. Following a summer of rapid lake level rise (2010–2011), an increase in depth integrated chlorophyll a (chl‐a) occurred in Lake Bonney caused by stimulation of photoautotrophic green algae. Conversely, peaks in chl‐a during the polar night were associated with an increase in mixotrophic haptophytes and cryptophytes. Collectively our data reveal that phytoplankton groups possessing variable trophic abilities are differentially competitive during seasonal and long‐term time scales owing to periods of higher nutrients (photoautotrophs) versus light/energy limitation (mixotrophs).

10aalgae10aAntarctic10afluorometry10aice10alakes10alight10aprofiling10awinter1 aPatriarche, Jeffrey, D.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aWinslow, Luke, A.1 aMyers, Krista, F.1 aBuelow, Heather, N.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aDoran, Peter, T. uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JG00592502158nas 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=miami1547204599969081