04921nas 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/G36966.102177nas a2200217 4500008004100000022001300041245014200054210006900196260001600265300001100281490000700292520131900299100002201618700002201640700002401662700002101686700002101707700003301728700002101761856017701782 2014 eng d a0025332400aAutonomous Year-Round Sampling and Sensing to Explore the Physical and Biological Habitability of Permanently Ice-Covered Antarctic Lakes0 aAutonomous YearRound Sampling and Sensing to Explore the Physica cJan-09-2014 a8 - 170 v483 a

The lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are some of the only systems on our planet that are perennially ice-covered and support year-round metabolism. As such, these ecosystems can provide important information on conditions and life in polar regions on Earth and on other icy worlds in our solar system. Working in these extreme environments of the Dry Valleys poses many challenges, particularly with respect to data collection during dark winter months when logistical constraints make fieldwork difficult. In this paper, we describe the motivation, design, and challenges for this recently deployed instrumentation in Lake Bonney, a lake that has been the subject of summer research efforts for more than 40 years. The instrumentation deployed includes autonomous water, phytoplankton, and sediment samplers as well as cable-mounted profiling platforms with dissolved gas and fluorometry sensors. Data obtained from these instruments will allow us, for the first time, to define the habitability of this environment during the polar night. We include lessons learned during deployment and recommendations for effective instrument operation in these extreme conditions.

1 aWinslow, Luke, A.1 aDugan, Hilary, A.1 aBuelow, Heather, N.1 aCronin, Kyle, D.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aDoran, Peter, T. uhttp://openurl.ingenta.com/content/xref?genre=article&issn=0025-3324&volume=48&issue=5&spage=8http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mts/mtsj/2014/00000048/00000005/art0000200722nas a2200193 4500008004100000020001800041245008800059210006900147260004200216300001400258100002500272700002400297700001700321700001700338700002100355700001700376700002400393856011100417 2010 eng d a978052188919300aAntarctic McMurdo Dry Valley stream ecosystems as analog to fluvial systems on Mars0 aAntarctic McMurdo Dry Valley stream ecosystems as analog to fluv aCambridgebCambridge University Press a139 - 1591 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aCarr, M., H.1 aBaeseman, J.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aLyons, Berry1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/antarctic-mcmurdo-dry-valley-stream-ecosystems-analog-fluvial-systems-mars01738nas a2200229 4500008004100000245008300041210006900124260001200193300001100205490000700216520101800223653001101241100002501252700001201277700002401289700001101313700001301324700002501337700002101362700001601383856010901399 2006 eng d00aAntarctic Climate Cooling and Response of Diatoms in Glacial Meltwater Streams0 aAntarctic Climate Cooling and Response of Diatoms in Glacial Mel c04/2006 aL074060 v333 a

To understand biotic responses to an Antarctic cooling trend, we analyzed diatom samples from glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, the largest ice-free area in Antarctica. Diatoms are abundant in these streams, and 24 of 40 species have only been found in the Antarctic. The percentage of these Antarctic diatom species increased with decreasing annual stream flow and increasing harshness of the stream habitat. The species diversity of assemblages reached a maximum when the Antarctic species accounted for 40–60% of relative diatom abundance. Decreased solar radiation and air-temperatures reduce annual stream flow, raising the dominance of these Antarctic species to levels above 60%. Thus, cooling favors the Antarctic species, and lowers diatom species diversity in this region.

10aBiggie1 aEsposito, Rhea, M.M.1 aHorn, S1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aCox, M1 aGrant, M1 aSpaulding, Sarah, A.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aCozzetto, K uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/antarctic-climate-cooling-and-response-diatoms-glacial-meltwater-streams00468nas a2200157 4500008004100000245002900041210002900070260003100099100001500130700002400145700002100169700001500190700002900205700001500234856006100249 2004 eng d00aAntarctic Paleolimnology0 aAntarctic Paleolimnology bKluwer Academic Publishers1 aHodgson, D1 aGibson, John, A. E.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aPienitz, R1 aDouglas, Marianne, S. V.1 aSmol, J.P. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/antarctic-paleolimnology00890nas a2200277 4500008004100000245006500041210006500106260001200171300001200183490000800195653002100203100002100224700002100245700001700266700002000283700002400303700002400327700002400351700002300375700002000398700001900418700002700437700002700464700002400491856009700515 2002 eng d00aAntarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response0 aAntarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response c01/2002 a517-5200 v41510aClimate Response1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aLyons, Berry1 aWalsh, John, E.1 aFountain, Andrew, G1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aMoorhead, Daryl, L.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aClow, Gary, D.1 aFritsen, Christian, H.1 aMcKay, Christopher, P.1 aParsons, Andrew, N. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/antarctic-climate-cooling-and-terrestrial-ecosystem-response00522nas a2200157 4500008004100000245005500041210005300096260003100149300001000180653001100190100002100201700001700222700001800239700002200257856008500279 1999 eng d00aArctic and Antarctic lakes: contrast or continuum?0 aArctic and Antarctic lakes contrast or continuum bUniversity of Ottawa Press a59-6810aBiggie1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aAdams, Peter1 aEcclestone, M1 aLewkowicz, A., G. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/arctic-and-antarctic-lakes-contrast-or-continuum00570nas a2200157 4500008004100000245007400041210006900115260001200184300001600196490000800212100002100220700002400241700002500265700002700290856009500317 1998 eng d00aAntarctic paleolake sediments and the search for extinct life on Mars0 aAntarctic paleolake sediments and the search for extinct life on c05/1998 a28481-284930 v1031 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aWharton, Robert, A.1 aDesMarais, David, J.1 aMcKay, Christopher, P. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/antarctic-paleolake-sediments-and-search-extinct-life-mars