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Microbiological characterization of a semi-enclosed sub-Antarctic environment: the Straits of Magellan

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Abstract

Among sub-Antarctic ecosystems, the microbiology of the Straits of Magellan has been poorly documented due to the scarcity of observations. In this context, the spatial distribution of microbiological parameters, both in terms of abundance (total picoplankton and picophytoplankton, cultivable heterotrophic bacteria) and biochemical assays (adenosine triphosphate and lipolysaccharide estimations, as well as electron transport system activity), was investigated in the epipelagic layer along the Straits during late summer 1991 and early autumn 1995. The microbial dynamics showed significant variations along the Straits, with increasing values generally determined eastward both in 1991 and 1995. Microbiological results were additionally correlated with available data on the physico-chemical and biological properties of the analyzed water masses. Taking into consideration the whole dataset, the principal component analysis led to the identification of three main macro-areas along the Straits of Magellan (Paso Largo, Paso Ancho and Angostura/Isla Isabel) with different trophic features. This held true when the two cruises were individually considered, as well as when comparing each macro-area between the two cruises. Additionally, a first attempt to quantify the carbon flux through the microbial compartment within the main identified macro-areas was made. The present work will allow the gaining of further understanding of the microbiology of this under-investigated sub-Antarctic marine ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

This research was carried out in the framework of the “Magellan Project” funded by the Progetto Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide (PNRA). Ethical standards: Experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC-CNR), Spianata San Raineri, 98122, Messina, Italy

    E. Crisafi, M. Azzaro, R. La Ferla & F. Azzaro

  2. Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina (DBAEM), University of Messina, Salita Sperone 31, 98166, Messina, Italy

    A. Lo Giudice, L. Michaud, T. L. Maugeri, M. De Domenico, M. L. C. Acosta Pomar & V. Bruni

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  1. E. Crisafi
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  2. M. Azzaro
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  3. A. Lo Giudice
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  4. L. Michaud
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  6. T. L. Maugeri
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  9. M. L. C. Acosta Pomar
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  10. V. Bruni
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Correspondence to A. Lo Giudice.

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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Maria Lucila Celia Acosta Pomar who prematurely passed away on 7th June 1995. Her enthusiastic contribution was fundamental for the success of several oceanographic surveys carried out in the Straits of Magellan and Antarctica.

This article belongs to a special topic: a number of articles coordinated by L. Guglielmo and V. Saggiomo appear in this issue of Polar Biology and are a result of two workshops on “The pelagic ecosystem of the Straits of Magellan” held in August 2008 and 2009 in Capo Calavà Village, Messina, Italy. The studies were conducted in the frame of the National Program of Research in Antarctica (PNRA) of Italy.

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Crisafi, E., Azzaro, M., Lo Giudice, A. et al. Microbiological characterization of a semi-enclosed sub-Antarctic environment: the Straits of Magellan. Polar Biol 33, 1485–1504 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0836-6

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