03115nas a2200517 4500008004100000245008300041210006900124260001200193520161800205653001501823653002101838653002601859653001901885653001301904653001701917653002401934653002301958653001701981653001201998100001702010700001802027700002202045700002102067700002002088700003002108700002102138700002402159700002102183700002302204700001502227700001802242700002102260700002302281700002202304700002002326700002302346700002402369700001602393700002302409700002402432700002102456700001902477700001802496700002002514856006302534 2021 eng d00aAntarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities0 aAntarctic ecosystems in transition life between stresses and opp c06/20213 a

Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder‐relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed‐dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of ‘scientific understanding’ revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub‐messages, indicating that process‐oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services.

10aadaptation10abenthic dynamism10abiogeochemical cycles10aclimate change10ainvasion10anew habitats10aocean acidification10aPrimary production10arange shifts10asea ice1 aGutt, Julian1 aIsla, Enrique1 aXavier, José, C.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aAhn, In‐Young1 aCheng, C.‐H., Christina1 aColesie, Claudia1 aCummings, Vonda, J.1 adi Prisco, Guido1 aGriffiths, Huw, J.1 aHawes, Ian1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aMcIntyre, Trevor1 aMeiners, Klaus, M.1 aPearce, David, A.1 aPeck, Lloyd, S.1 aPiepenburg, Dieter1 aReisinger, Ryan, R.1 aSaba, Grace1 aSchloss, Irene, R.1 aSignori, Camila, N.1 aSmith, Craig, R.1 aVacchi, Marino1 aVerde, Cinzia1 aWall, Diana, H. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.1267904921nas a2200181 4500008004100000022001400041245008200055210006900137260001200206300001300218520434700231100002104578700001504599700002204614700002304636700002104659856005904680 2015 eng d a0091-761300aAntarctic microbial mats: A modern analog for Archean lacustrine oxygen oases0 aAntarctic microbial mats A modern analog for Archean lacustrine  c10/2015 aG36966.13 a

The evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis was the most important geochemical event in

Earth history, causing the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) ~2.4 b.y. ago. However, evidence is mixed as to whether O2 production occurred locally as much as 2.8 b.y. ago, creating O2 oases, or initiated just prior to the GOE. The biogeochemical dynamics of possible O2 oases have been poorly constrained due to the absence of modern analogs. However, cyanobacteria in microbial mats in a perennially anoxic region of Lake Fryxell, Antarctica, create a 1–2 mm O2-containing layer in the upper mat during summer, providing the first known modern analog for formation of benthic O2 oases. In Lake Fryxell, benthic cyanobacteria are present below the oxycline in the lake. Mat photosynthesis rates were slow due to low photon flux rate (1–2 μmol m-2 s-1) under thick ice cover, but photosynthetic O2 production was sufficient to sustain up to 50 μmol O2 L-1, sandwiched between anoxic overlying water and anoxic sedi- ments. We hypothesize that Archean cyanobacteria could have similarly created O2 oases in benthic mats prior to the GOE. Analogous mats may have been at least partly responsible for geological evidence of oxidative weathering prior to the GOE, and habitats such as Lake Fryxell provide natural laboratories where the impact of benthic O2 oases on biogeochemical signatures can be investigated. 

 

1 aSumner, Dawn, Y.1 aHawes, Ian1 aMackey, Tyler, J.1 aJungblut, Anne, D.1 aDoran, Peter, T. uhttp://geology.gsapubs.org/lookup/doi/10.1130/G36966.100512nas a2200121 4500008004100000245010700041210006900148300000900217490000700226100001500233700001800248856012400266 2001 eng d00aAbsorption and utilization of low irradiance by cyanobacterial mats in two ice-covered Antarctic lakes0 aAbsorption and utilization of low irradiance by cyanobacterial m a5-150 v371 aHawes, Ian1 aSchwartz, A-M uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/absorption-and-utilization-low-irradiance-cyanobacterial-mats-two-ice-covered-antarctic00597nas a2200169 4500008004100000245007200041210006700113260002900180300001200209100001700221700002400238700001700262700001700279700002700296700001500323856008900338 1997 eng d00aThe abundance of planktonic virus-like particles in Antarctic lakes0 aabundance of planktonic viruslike particles in Antarctic lakes aRotterdambBalkema Press a241-2501 aKepner, R.L.1 aWharton, Robert, A.1 aGalchenko, V1 aLyons, Berry1 aHoward-Williams, Clive1 aHawes, Ian uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/abundance-planktonic-virus-particles-antarctic-lakes