Dynamics of microbial communities in Western Antarctic Peninsula waters shaped primarily by the biological interactions.

Marine Antarctic microbial communities inhabit highly dynamic and extreme environments, characterized by deep vertical mixing, seasonal ice cover, and fluctuating light availability. Understanding the interplay between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in such systems is critical to elucidate ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycling in the Southern Ocean. The current study presents a comprehensive three-year high-throughput analysis of phytoplankton-bacterioplankton interactions in the waters of Wilhelm Archipelago, elucidating interseasonal and interannual microbial dynamics.

Description of sp. n. (Monogenea: Capsalidae) from the gills of Antarctic black rockcod, Richardson in coastal waters of West Antarctica.

Morphological and metrical analyses of monogeneans from the gills of Antarctic rockcod revealed the presence of a new species, sp. n. Fresh specimens of monogeneans collected from from the vicinity of Galindez Island, Argentine Islands, West Antarctica were examined morphologically, by molecular analysis and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA).

RARE AND ENDANGERED ROVE BEETLES OF UKRAINE: EMUS HIRTUS LINNAEUS, 1758 (COLEOPTERA: STAPHYLINIDAE).

In Ukraine, Emus hirtus Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) is protected by the national Red Book. The species is widely distributed in all natural zones of the country but occurs sporadically. Almost everywhere in Ukraine E.

Endophytic Bacterial Biofilm-Formers Associated with Antarctic Vascular Plants.

and are the only two vascular plants colonized on the Antarctic continent, which is usually exposed to extreme environments. Endophytic bacteria residing within plant tissues can exhibit diverse adaptations that contribute to their ecological success and potential benefits for their plant hosts. This study aimed to characterize 12 endophytic bacterial strains isolated from these plants, focusing on their ecological adaptations and functional roles like plant growth promotion, antifungal activities, tolerance to salt and low-carbon environments, wide temperature range, and biofilm formation.

Diversity and distribution of the lichen genus Umbilicaria in the Argentine Islands-Kyiv Peninsula region, the maritime Antarctic.

This paper documents the occurrence of the genus Umbilicaria in the Argentine Islands-Kyiv Peninsula region of the Graham Coast in the maritime Antarctic. The presence of seven Umbilicaria species (U. africana, U.

From acidophilic to ornithogenic: microbial community dynamics in moss banks altered by gentoo penguins.

Introduction: The study explores the indirect impact of climate change driven by gentoo's penguin colonization pressure on the microbial communities of moss banks formed by Tall moss turf subformation in central maritime Antarctica.

Methods: Microbial communities and chemical composition of the differently affected moss banks (Unaffected, Impacted and Desolated) located on Galindez Island and Сape Tuxen on the mainland of Kyiv Peninsula were analyzed.

Results: The native microbiota of the moss banks' peat was analyzed for the first time, revealing a predominant presence of Acidobacteria (32.

Rove beetle collection (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) in the State Museum of Natural History (Lviv, Ukraine).

The collection of rove beetles of the subfamily Aleocharinae, stored in the State Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Lviv), has been catalogued. The catalog contains information about 2313 specimens of the collection, which belong to 278 species in 91 genera and 17 tribes. The overwhelming majority of the representatives of the subfamily Aleocharinae represented in the collection were collected on the territory of Ukraine, as well as in the modern territories of Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Resistance of Primary Photosynthesis to Photoinhibition in Antarctic Lichen : Photoprotective Mechanisms Activated during a Short Period of High Light Stress.

The Antarctic lichen, , in its hydrated state has several physiological mechanisms to cope with high light effects on the photosynthetic processes of its photobionts. We aim to investigate the changes in primary photochemical processes of photosystem II in response to a short-term photoinhibitory treatment. Several chlorophyll fluorescence techniques: (1) slow Kautsky kinetics supplemented with quenching mechanism analysis; (2) light response curves of photosynthetic electron transport (ETR); and (3) response curves of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were used in order to evaluate the phenomenon of photoinhibition of photosynthesis and its consequent recovery.

Infection patterns of helminth community in black rockcod Notothenia coriiceps in West Antarctica over a 6-year term.

Patterns of the rockcod Notothenia coriiceps infection with helminths were analysed to understand the dynamics of parasite communities in this Antarctic fish and to test their stability over time. The study was performed using helminth samples collected from 183 N. coriiceps in 2014-2015 and 2020-2021 in the vicinity of the Ukrainian Antarctic station (UAS) "Akademik Vernadsky", Galindez Island, Argentine Islands, West Antarctica.

A catalogue of the types of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) deposited in the collection of Johan Heinrich Hochhuth in the National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Type specimens of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) from the collection of J.H. Hochhuth (18101872) deposited in National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv) are currently being catalogued and illustrated.

Antarctic Hairgrass Rhizosphere Microbiomes: Microscale Effects Shape Diversity, Structure, and Function.

The rhizosphere microbiome of the native Antarctic hairgrass Deschampsia antarctica from the central maritime Antarctic was investigated using 16S RNA metagenomics and compared to those of the second native Antarctic plant Colobanthus quitensis and closely related temperate D. cespitosa. The rhizosphere microbial communities of D.

Trematodes from Antarctic teleost fishes off Argentine Islands, West Antarctica: molecular and morphological data.

In 2014-2015 and 2019-2021, teleost fishes off Galindez Island (Antarctic Peninsula) were examined for trematodes. Combined morphological and molecular analyses revealed the presence of eight trematode species of four families (Hemiuridae, Lecithasteridae, Opecoelidae, Lepidapedidae) from five fish species. Only adult trematodes were found and all of them are Antarctic endemics with their congeners occurring on other continents.

Bacterial communities of the Black Sea exhibit activity against persistent organic pollutants in the water column and sediments.

The ability of bacteria to degrade organic pollutants influences their fate in the environment, impact on the other biota and accumulation in the food web. The aim of this study was to evaluate abundance and expression activity of the catabolic genes targeting widespread pollutants, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachloro-cyclohexane (HCH) in the Black Sea water column and sediments. Concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and HCH were determined by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and electron capture (ECD) detectors.

Drosophila Evolution over Space and Time (DEST): A New Population Genomics Resource.

Drosophila melanogaster is a leading model in population genetics and genomics, and a growing number of whole-genome data sets from natural populations of this species have been published over the last years. A major challenge is the integration of disparate data sets, often generated using different sequencing technologies and bioinformatic pipelines, which hampers our ability to address questions about the evolution of this species. Here we address these issues by developing a bioinformatics pipeline that maps pooled sequencing (Pool-Seq) reads from D.

Helminth Assemblages of the Antarctic Black Rockcod, Notothenia coriiceps (Actinopterygii: Nototheniidae) in Coastal Waters near Galindez Island (Argentine Islands, West Antarctic): Temporal Changes in the Endoparasite Community.

Purpose: Analysis and comparison of the helminth assemblages in Antarctic rockcod Notothenia coriiceps collected near the UAS "Akademik Vernadsky" (Argentine Islands, West Antarctica) in 2002 and 2014-2015 were performed to characterise the parasite community and investigate the temporal changes in helminth assemblages and infection parameters.

Methods: All specimens of N. coriiceps (n = 194) were caught at depths of 10-30 m.

Niche partitioning of bacterial communities along the stratified water column in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is the largest semi-closed permanently anoxic basin on our planet with long-term stratification. The study aimed at describing the Black Sea microbial community taxonomic and functional composition within the range of depths spanning across oxic/anoxic interface, and to uncover the factors behind both their vertical and regional differentiation. 16S rRNA gene MiSeq sequencing was applied to get the data on microbial community taxonomy, and the PICRUSt pipeline was used to infer their functional profile.

Helminths of the Antarctic dragonfish, Parachaenichthys charcoti (Perciformes, Notothenioidei, Bathydraconidae) Studied near Galindez Island (Argentine Islands, West Antarctica).

Purpose: The Antarctic dragonfish, Parachaenichthys charcoti is a notothenioid teleost fish endemic to the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica. It is a relatively rare fish species; therefore, published data on the parasite communities of P. charcoti are limited.

Soil Sample Preservation Strategy Affects the Microbial Community Structure.

Sample preservation is a critical procedure in any research that relies on molecular tools and is conducted in remote areas. Sample preservation options include low and room temperature storage, which require freezing equipment and specific buffering solutions, respectively. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether DNA/RNA Shield 1x from Zymo Research and DESS (Dimethyl sulfoxide, Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, Saturated Salt) solution performed similarly to snap freezing in liquid nitrogen.

Genomic Analysis of European Drosophila melanogaster Populations Reveals Longitudinal Structure, Continent-Wide Selection, and Previously Unknown DNA Viruses.

Genetic variation is the fuel of evolution, with standing genetic variation especially important for short-term evolution and local adaptation. To date, studies of spatiotemporal patterns of genetic variation in natural populations have been challenging, as comprehensive sampling is logistically difficult, and sequencing of entire populations costly. Here, we address these issues using a collaborative approach, sequencing 48 pooled population samples from 32 locations, and perform the first continent-wide genomic analysis of genetic variation in European Drosophila melanogaster.

Holistic pelagic biodiversity monitoring of the Black Sea via eDNA metabarcoding approach: From bacteria to marine mammals.

As the largest semi-closed marine ecosystem in the world, the Black Sea has been heavily affected by human activities for a long time. Describing the biodiversity of multi-trophic biota in pelagic zone of the Black Sea and identifying the dominant environmental factors are prerequisites for protecting the sustainability of ecosystems. However, up to now, the taxonomic and distributional information about the Black Sea biota is not clear.

New Antarctic deep-sea weird leech (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae): morphological features and phylogenetic relationships.

A new fish leech Ambulobdella shandikovi n. g., n.