Open AccessBacterial characterization of the snow cover at Spitzberg, Svalbard
Author(s) -
Amato Pierre,
Hennebelle Raphaëlle,
Magand Olivier,
Sancelme Martine,
Delort AnneMarie,
Barbante Carlo,
Boutron Claude,
Ferrari Christophe
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00198.x
Subject(s) - snow , biology , gammaproteobacteria , betaproteobacteria , alphaproteobacteria , glacier , population , firmicutes , arctic , actinobacteria , meltwater , ecology , deltaproteobacteria , bacteria , 16s ribosomal rna , paleontology , geology , geomorphology , demography , sociology
Abstract A sampling campaign was organized during spring 2004 in Spitzberg, Svalbard, in the area around the scientific base of Ny‐Ålesund, to characterize the snow pack bacterial population. Total bacteria counts were established by 4′,6‐diamino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) in the seasonal snow pack bordering the sea. On the sea shore, bacterial concentration was about 6 × 10 4 cells mL −1 , without any significant variation according to depth. In the accumulation snow layer of the glacier, concentrations were about 2 × 10 4 cells mL −1 , except in the 2003 summer layer, where it reached 2 × 10 5 cells mL −1 , as the result of cell multiplication allowed by higher temperature and snow melting. Strains isolated from the seasonal snow pack were identified from their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and lodged in GenBank. They belong to the Alphaproteobacteria , Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria , Firmicutes and Actinobacteria . They are closely related to cold environment bacteria, as revealed by phylogenetic tree constructions, and two appear to be of unknown affiliation. Using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance, it was shown that these isolates have the capacity to degrade organic compounds found in Arctic snow (propionate, acetate and formate), and this can allow them to develop when snow melts, and thus to be actively involved in snow chemistry.