• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.443-450
• /
• 2005

The ratio of breeding pairs of brown skuas (Catharacta lonnbergi), south polar skuas (C. maccormicki) and mixed species pairs between Barton and Weaver peninsulas remained the same $(X^2-test,\;X^2=0,503,\;df=2,\;p=0.778)$. The nests of skuas were clustered on Barton, whereas they were distributed randomly on the Weaver peninsula. The distance between brown skua nests, and that of mixed species pair nests were longer than those of south polar skua nests. Brown skua nests were distributed along the coast. Whereas, the nests of mixed species pairs and south polar skuas were found more frequently inland (Kruskal-Wallis, $X^2=11.631$, df=2, p<0.005). There was no interspecific difference in the distances between skua nests and Penguin rookery at Barton (Kruskal-Wallis, $X^2=2.153$, df=2, p=0.341) or at King Sejong Station (ANOVA, F=1.483, df=2, p=0.229). In general, skuas prefer lower locales (<125m above sea level) for their nest building sites. Brown skua nests were distributed mainly on the beach, whereas south polar skua were distributed on the predominant periglacial landforms and till areas $(X^2-test,\;X^2=24.988,\;df=8,\;p<0.005)$.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.653-662
• /
• 2003

Changes in the area of geo-ecosystem $(62^{\circ}09'S,\;58^{\circ}31'w)$ reflect climatic changes in the South Shetland Islands. Air temperature and deglaciation will increase. The ice-free space area at the SSSS 8- (ASPA 121) site has enlarged threefold during the last 21 years, thus creating conditions for inhabitation and succession. Wind, water and snow play important roles in transportation of geochemical components. They distribute nutrients, mineral substances, seeds, fragments of plants and animals, etc. Plant and animal colonization is patchy and it happens at random in an 'island' - like manner. The colonization pattern is dependant, to a high degree on physical factors. The newly uncovered ice-free areas are at first inhabited by a vascular plant known as the Deschampsia antarctica. The border of the land-oasis with Admiralty Bay is the place where the processes related to animal feeding at the sea and reproduction on the land take place. Bird colonies and pinniped lairs form centers of fertilization surrounded by high chemical gradients dependent on the direction of the flow of nutrients $(e.g.\;NH_4)$. During the last 25 years, the numbers of penguins in this region have decreased, and thus the amount of materials excreted on land has diminished. The numbers of fur seals change in multi-annual cycles, and their migration into this area is related to the E1 $Ni\~{n}o$ phenomenon. The numbers of elephant seals in the area did not change. Organic matter deposited by the sea onto the shore are a source of nutrients and deficient chemical elements on land. Mineral matter is washed out into the waters of Admiralty Bay. These processes change seasonally, and multi annually. Negative effects on the environment at Arctowski Station induced by man are slight, but noticeable nevertheless. Physical processes have the largest influence on the living conditions and distribution of plants and animals, and as a consequence, on the functioning of the geo-ecosystem in the coastal-shore zone of the Maritime Antarctic.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.216-233
• /
• 2003

This study delineates the phenomena related with global environmental changes such as global warming, ozone depletion, and El Ni${\tilde{n}}$o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) noted in the Antarctic. Retreat of ice cliffs, glaciers, and calving of ice shelves indicate the effects of recently aggravated global warming. The ice cliff located at Marian Cove, King George Island, South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula has been observed to be retreating faster in the last 7 years than in the previous 38 years since 1956. There are some indications of temperature and precipitation changes associated with ENSO around King Sejong Station. The regression analyses indicate significant trends such as a decrease in the total amount of ozone and an increase in ultraviolet radiation which was seen by a satellite (TOMS-EUV) in September and October which correspond to ozone-hole season over King Sejong Station. Increase of UV radiation due to the ozone depletion in the Antarctic has changed the growth rate of marine organisms. It may also result in changes to the productivity, biomass, and species composition of marine organisms which can affect the whole marine ecosystem. The recent ice-core drilling over Lake Vostok has been reviewed with emphasis on the four cycles of glacial stages over the past 420,000 years. It is time to show more interest in mainland Antarctica through investigations of the coring and vast ice sheet, terrestrial geology, and upper atmospheric sciences in order to understand the past environmental changes and to predict possible changes to the environment in the future.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.123-134
• /
• 2002

Seasonal variations of settling particles and metal fluxes were monitored at a nearshore site of Marian Cove, King Geroge Island, Antarctica from 28th February 1998 to 22nd January 2000. Near-bottom sediment traps were deployed at 30m water depth of the cove, and sampling bottles were recovered every month by SCUBA divers. Total particulate flux and metal concentrations were determined from the samples. Total particulate flux showed a distinct seasonality, high in austral summer and low in austral winter: the highest flux $(21.97g\;m^{-2}d^{-1})$ was found in February of 1999, and the lowest $(2.47g\;m^{-2}d^{-1})$ in September of 1998, when sea surface was frozen completely. Lithogenic particle flux accounted for 90% of the total flux, and showed a significantly negative correlation with the thickness of snow accumulation around the study site. It was suggested that the most of the lithogenic particles trapped in the bottles was transported by melt water stream from the surrounding land. Fluxes of Al, Fe, Ti, Mn, Zn, Cii, Co, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Pb showed similar seasonal variations with the total flux, and their averaged fluxes were 34000, 9000,960, 180, 13.8, 17.6, 3.0,2.1, 5.4, 0.02, and $1.5nmol\;m^{-2}d^{-1}$ respectively. Among the metals, Cu and Cd showed the most noticeable seasonal patterns. The Cd flux correlated positively with the fluxes of biogenic components while the Cu flux correlated with both the lithogenic and biogenic particle fluxes. The Cu flux peak in the late summer is likely related to a substantial amount of inflow of ice melt water laden with Cu-enriched lithogenic particles. On the other hands, the Cd flux peak in the early spring may be associated with the unusually early occurred phytoplankton bloom.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.510-514
• /
• 2007

Twenty-five bacterial strains that secrete mucous materials were isolated from sediment obtained from King George Island, Antarctica. Seven of these strains proved capable of producing cryoprotective exopolysaccharides. The strain KOPRI 21653 was selected for the further study of an anti-ice-nucleating polysaccharide (ANP), which originated from a polar region. KOPRI 21653 was identified as Pseudoalteromonas arctica as the result of 16S rRNA analysis. The exopolysaccharide, P-21653, was purified completely from the KOPRI 21653 cell culture via column chromatography and protease treatment. The principal sugar components of P-21653 were determined to be galactose and glucose, at a ratio of 1:1.5, via GC-MS analysis. The cryoprotective activity of P-21653 was characterized via an E. coli viability test. In the presence of 0.1% (w/v) P-21653, the survival ratio of E. coli cells was as high as 82.6% over three repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The survival ratio decreased drastically to 71.5 and 48.1 %, respectively, in five and seven repeated cycle conditions; however, the survival ratios were greater over three (96.6-92.1%) to seven (100.5-91.6%) freeze-thaw cycles in the presence of 0.5 and 1.0% (w/v) P-21653. In addition, at much lower concentrations (0.1-1.0%), P-21653 resulted in survival ratios (83.1-98.4%) similar to those of two commercially available cryoprotectants ($V_{EG}$ plus X-1000, 92.9% and $V_{M3}$, 95.3%), which were utilized at the recommended concentrations (90%). The biochemical characteristics of exopolysaccharide P-21653 reflect that this compound may be developed as a useful cryoprotectant for use in medical applications and in the food industry.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.493-503
• /
• 2015

This study analyzed how spatial distribution of Himantormia lugubris is affected by the microenvironment in the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 171 located in the Barton Peninsula of King George Island that belongs to the maritime Antarctic. In order to determine the population structure of H. lugubris growing in Baekje Hill within ASPA No. 171, we counted the individuals of different size groups after dividing the population into 5 growth stages according to mean diameter as follows: ≤ 1 cm, 1-3 cm, 3-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and ≥ 10 cm. The count of H. lugubris individuals in each growth stage was converted into its percentage with respect to the entire population, which yielded the finding that stages 1 through 5 accounted for 32.8%, 25.3%, 15.9%, 22.5%, and 3.5%, respectively. This suggests that the population of H. lugubris in ASPA No. 171 has a stable reverse J-shaped population structure, with the younger individuals outnumbering mature ones. The mean density of H. lugubris was 17.6/0.25 m², mean canopy cover 13.3%, and the mean dry weight 37.8 g/0.25 m². It began to produce spore in the sizes over 3 cm, and most individuals measuring 5-10 cm were adults with sexually mature apothecia. The spatial distribution of H. lugubris was highly heterogeneous. The major factors influencing its distribution and performance were found to be the period covered by snow, wind direction, moisture, size of the substrate, and canopy cover of Usnea spp. Based on these factors, we constructed a prediction model for estimating the spatial distribution of H. lugubris. Conclusively, the major factors for the spatial distribution of H. lugubris were snow, wind, substrate and the competition with Usnea spp. These results are important for understanding of the distribution in the maritime Antarctic and evolution of H. lugubris that claims a unique life history and ecological niche.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.9
• /
• pp.1187-1196
• /
• 2013

Global warming will have far-reaching effects on our ecosystem. However, its effects on Antarctic soils have been poorly explored. To assess the effects of warming on microbial abundance and community composition, we sampled Antarctic soils from the King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula and incubated these soils at elevated temperatures of $5^{\circ}C$ and $8^{\circ}C$ for 14 days. The reduction in total organic carbon and increase in soil respiration were attributed to the increased proliferation of Bacteria, Fungi, and Archaea. Interestingly, bacterial ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) genes were predominant over archaeal amoA, unlike in many other environments reported previously. Phylogenetic analyses of bacterial and archaeal amoA communities via clone libraries revealed that the diversity of amoA genes in Antarctic ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotic communities were temperature-insensitive. Interestingly, our data also showed that the amoA of Antarctic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) communities differed from previously described amoA sequences of cultured isolates and clone library sequences, suggesting the presence of novel Antarctic-specific AOB communities. Denitrification-related genes were significantly reduced under warming conditions, whereas the abundance of amoA and nifH increased. Barcoded pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the major phyla in Antarctic soils and the effect of short-term warming on the bacterial community was not apparent.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.237-247
• /
• 2003

The temporal dynamics of the meiofauna community in Marian Cove, King George Island were observed from January 22 to October 29 1996. Generally, 14 taxa of metazoan meiofauna were found. Nematodes were dominant comprising 90.12% of the community, harpacticoid 6.55%, and Kinorhynchs 1.54%. Meiofauna abundance increased monthly from January to May 1996, while varying in abundance after August 1996. Overall mean abundance of metazoan meiofauna was $2634ind./10cm^2$ during the study periods, which is about as high as that found in temperate regions. Nematodes were most abundant representing $2399ind./10cm^2$. Mean abundance of harpacticoids, including copepodite and nauplius was $131ind./10cm^2$ by kinorhynchs $(26ind./10cm^2)$. The overall abundance of other identified organisms was $31ind./10cm^2$ Other organisms consisted of a total of 11 taxa including Ostracoda $(6ind./10cm^2)$, Polycheata $(7ind./10cm^2)$, Oligochaeta $(8ind./10cm^2)$, and Bivalvia $(6ind./10cm^2)$. Additionally, protozoan Foraminifera occurred at the study area with a mean abundance of $263ind./10cm^2$. Foraminiferans were second in dominance to nematodes. The dominant taxa such as nematodes, harpacticoids, kinorhynchs and the other tua were trained and extensively scattered in the map through the Kohonen network. The temporal pattern of the community composition was most affected by the abundance dynamics of kinorhynchs and harpacticoids. The neural network model also allowed for simulation of data that was missing during two months of inclement weather. The lowest meiofauna abundance was found in August 1996 during winter. The seasonal changes were likely caused by temperature and salinity changes as a result of meltwater runoff, and the physical impact by passing icebergs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.1483-1490
• /
• 2007

A Gram-negative, motile by tuft flagella, obligately aerobic chemoorganoheterotrophic, sphere-form bacterium, designated $IMCC3135^T$, was isolated from the Antarctic surface seawater of King George Island, West Antarctica. The strain was mesophilic, neutrophilic, and requiring NaCl for growth, but neither halophilic nor halotolerant. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain was most closely related to genera of the order Chromatiales in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The most closely related genera showed less than 90% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and included Thioalkalispira (89.9%), Thioalkalivibrio (88.0%-89.5%), Ectothiorhodospira (87.9%-89.3%), Chromatium (88.3%-88.9%), and Lamprocystis (87.7%-88.9%), which represent three different families of the order Chromatiales. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this Antarctic strain represented a distinct phylogenetic lineage in the order Chromatiales and could not be assigned to any of the defined families in the order. Phenotypic characteristics, including primarily non-phototrophic, non-alkaliphilic, non-halophilic, and obligately aerobic chemoheterotrophic properties, differentiated the strain from other related genera. The very low sequence similarities (<90%) and distant relationships between the strain and members of the order suggested that the strain merited classification as a novel genus within a novel family in the order Chromatiales. On the basis of these taxonomic traits, a novel genus and species is proposed, Granulosicoccus antarcticus gen. nov., sp. nov., in a new family Granulosicoccaceae fam. nov. Strain $IMCC3135^T\;(=KCCM42676^T=NBRC\;102684^T)$ is the type strain of Granulosicoccus antarcticus.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.137-140
• /
• 2017

Caballeronia sordidicola strain PAMC 26510 was isolated from Psoroma sp., a lichen material, collected from Barton Peninsula of King George Island in Antarctica. The draft genome sequence of PAMC 26510 consisted of 224 contigs and they was 7,872,143 base pairs with 59.7% G+C content. The genome included 7,580 protein coding sequences and 6 ribosomal RNA genes and 46 tRNA genes. The strain PAMC 26510 is also a metabolic generalist as we have observed in previous genomic studies in the arctic strain of Caballeronia sordidicola. The draft genomic sequences of PAMC 26510 had six CRISPR arrays on six contigs, and there were two clusters of CRISPR-associated genes that were linked with respective CRISPR arrays.