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Limnological characteristics of the freshwater ecosystems of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, in maritime Antarctica

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Abstract

A limnological survey of 15 lakes and 6 streams was carried out on Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) during austral summer 2001–2002. Most of the surface waters had low conductivities (20–105 μS cm−1) and nutrients (total phosphorus 0.01–0.24 μM), but some coastal lakes were enriched by nutrient inputs from seal colonies and marine inputs. Plankton communities in the lakes contained picocyanobacteria (102–104 cells ml−1), diatoms, chrysophytes and chlorophytes, and a large fraction of the total biomass was bacterioplankton. Zooplankton communities were dominated by Boeckella poppei and Branchinecta gainii; the benthic cladoceran Macrothrix ciliata was also recorded, for the first time in Antarctica. The chironomids Belgica antarctica and Parochlus steinenii, and the oligochaete Lumbricillus sp., occurred in stream and lake benthos. The phytobenthos included cyanobacterial mats, epilithic diatoms and the aquatic moss Drepanocladus longifolius. These observations underscore the limnological richness of this seasonally ice-free region in maritime Antarctica and its value as a long-term reference site for monitoring environmental change.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant REN2000-0435-ANT from the Science and Technology Ministry (Spain), by funds to WFV from the Natural Sciences and Research Council of Canada. We thank especially Mr. Alex Simón from UTM for his assistance in the hard conditions of Byers Peninsula. We also thank very much the logistic help and support from the UTM (Maritime Technology Unit, CSIC) and from the Las Palmas crew (Spanish Navy) that made possible this expedition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Estudios Hidrográficos, Cedex, Paseo Bajo Virgen del Puerto, 3, 28005, Madrid, Spain

    M. Toro

  2. Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Edificio de Investigación, Campus de Burjassot, Universitat de Valencia, 46100, Burjassot, Spain

    A. Camacho & C. Rochera

  3. Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    E. Rico

  4. Instituto Nacional de Meteorología, Guadalupe-Murcia, Spain

    M. Bañón

  5. Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    A. Justel

  6. Département de Biologie, Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, QC, Canada, G1K 7P4

    W. F. Vincent

  7. Departamento Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    E. Fernández-Valiente, E. Marco, M. C. Avendaño, Y. Ariosa & A. Quesada

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Toro, M., Camacho, A., Rochera, C. et al. Limnological characteristics of the freshwater ecosystems of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, in maritime Antarctica. Polar Biol 30, 635–649 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-006-0223-5

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