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Diversity of the cyanobacterial microflora of the northern part of James Ross Island, NW Weddell Sea, Antarctica

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Abstract

The diversity and ecological distribution of cyanobacteria in the northern, deglaciated part of James Ross Island were studied during the Antarctic summer season 2005–2006. Seventy-five cyanobacterial morphotypes were observed in various habitats of this area. The identified cyanobacterial taxa belong to the characteristic and dominant types of coastal Antarctica, and majority of them appeared connected to special habitats and formed distinct populations and ecologically delimited communities. The results are compared and discussed with respect to phenotypically characterised cyanobacterial microflora of maritime Antarctica and to recent molecular analyses of cyanobacterial strains from different Antarctic regions. The existence of a specificity and characteristic composition of Antarctic cyanobacterial communities was demonstrated.

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Acknowledgements

The study was elaborated under the support of the grants no. 206/05/0253 and 206/07/0917 (Grant Agency of the Czech Republic—GA CR), and with technical help of the directory and members of the Czech Antarctic Station “J.G. Mendel” (we are particularly indepted to Ing. Alois Suchánek, head of the technical group of the Czech station in the season 2005–2006). We thank Dr Keith Edwards for the language correction and, particularly, all reviewers of this article for numerous valuable comments and corrections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany AS CR and Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Dukelská 135, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic

    Jiří Komárek, Josef Elster & Ondřej Komárek

  2. Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology AS CR and Institute of Physical Biology, University of South Bohemia, Zámek 136, 37333, Nové Hrady, Czech Republic

    Ondřej Komárek

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  1. Jiří Komárek
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Correspondence to Jiří Komárek.

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Komárek, J., Elster, J. & Komárek, O. Diversity of the cyanobacterial microflora of the northern part of James Ross Island, NW Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Polar Biol 31, 853–865 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0424-1

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