Potential of Antarctic habitats for microbial research
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The J. G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station is located on the northern coast of Ulu Peninsula, James Ross Island, which represents the largest ice-free area in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The gradual deglaciation of the area since the Late Pleistocene was locally interrupted by neoglacial mid- to late-Holocene advances of local glaciers. The long-lasting evolution of deglaciated landscape led to the origin of diverse habitats, such as lakes, streams, seepages, wet walls, permafrost and its active layer, bare ground, soils, surrounding of decaying seal carcasses any many more. Especially the aquatic environments have been identified as spots of microbial and cryptogam diversity in the marginal part of Antarctica. In spite of tens new species of lichens, algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and bacteria recently described from this area, Antarctica still has great potential for future microbial research. The Czech Antarctic Research Infrastructure provides full support to all national and international research activities in James Ross Archipelago at the margin of Antarctica. |
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