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Annual Cycle of Freshwater Diatoms in the High Arctic Revealed by Multiparameter Fluorescent Staining

  • Microbiology of Aquatic Systems
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Abstract

Diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) are important primary producers in a wide range of hydro-terrestrial habitats in polar regions that are characterized by many extreme environmental conditions. Nevertheless, how they survive periods of drought and/or freeze remains unknown. A general strategy of microorganisms to overcome adverse conditions is dormancy, but morphologically distinct diatom resting stages are rare. This study aimed to evaluate the annual cycle of freshwater diatoms in the High Arctic (Central Spitsbergen) and provide an insight into their physiological cell status variability. The diversity and viability of diatom cells were studied in samples collected five times at four study sites, tracing the key events for survival (summer vegetative season, autumn dry-freezing, winter freezing, spring melting, summer vegetative season [again]). For viability evaluation, a multiparameter fluorescent staining was used in combination with light microscopy and allowed to reveal the physiological status at a single-cell level. The proportions of the cell categories were seasonally and locality dependent. The results suggested that a significant portion of vegetative cells survive winter and provide an inoculum for the following vegetative season. The ice thickness significantly influenced spring survival. The thicker the ice layer was, the more dead cells and fewer other stages were observed. The influence of the average week max–min temperature differences in autumn and winter was not proven.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Czech Arctic Scientific Infrastructure of the University of South Bohemia, Josef Svoboda Station, Svalbard (CzechPolar2 Project LM2015078 supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic), and the institutional long-term research plan RVO67985939 of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Eveline Pinseel and Bart Van de Vijver are acknowledged for identification of diatoms and Jana Duchoslavová for a statistical help. The authors wish to thank Paul Hamilton and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Funding

The research was supported by the Grant Agency of Charles University (project no. 20217).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Eva Hejduková & Linda Nedbalová

  2. Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82, Třeboň, Czech Republic

    Josef Elster & Linda Nedbalová

  3. Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 3, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Josef Elster

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  1. Eva Hejduková
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Correspondence to Eva Hejduková.

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Hejduková, E., Elster, J. & Nedbalová, L. Annual Cycle of Freshwater Diatoms in the High Arctic Revealed by Multiparameter Fluorescent Staining. Microb Ecol 80, 559–572 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-020-01521-w

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