Oxygen supersaturation in ice-covered Antarctic lakes: biological versus physical contributions.

Freezing in ice-covered lakes causes dissolved gases to become supersaturated while at the same time removing gases trapped in the ablating ice cover. Analysis of N2, O2, and Ar in bubbles from Lake Hoare ice shows that, while O2 is approximately 2.4 times supersaturated in the water below the ice, only 11% of the O2 input to this lake is due to biological activity: 89% of the O2 is derived from meltwater inflow. Trapped bubbles in a subliming ice cover provide a natural "fluxmeter" for gas exchange: in Lake Hoare as much as 70% of the total gas loss may occur by advection through the ice cover, including approximately 75% of the N2, approximately 59% of the O2, and approximately 57% of the Ar losses. The remaining gas fractions are removed by respiration at the lower boundary (O2) and by molecular exchange with the atmosphere in the peripheral summer moat around the ice.

Cryoconite holes on glaciers.

Cryoconite holes are water-filled depressions on the surface of glaciers. They contain microbial communities and may contribute to glacial wastage and biological colonization of ice-free areas.

PHYLOGENY OF THE SUBFAMILIES OF THE FAMILY BRACONIDAE (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONOIDEA): A REASSESSMENT.

Abstract- The recently published phylogeny of Braconidae by Quicke and van Achterberg is reassessed. Character-state definitions and character polarities are evaluated, and more rigorous methods are suggested. Our results indicate that there are many more parsimonious solutions to their data set, the consensus of which differs substantially from their results. Based on our reassessment, little can be said about the relationships among braconid subfamilies. Consensus trees show the cyclostomes as a largely unresolved basal grade. The two other major lineages which have been proposed, the helconoids and microgastroids, are somewhat better resolved, but not consistently so. Relationships among the helconoids vary considerably depending on the parameters used for parsimony analysis.

Impact of light regimes on productivity patterns of benthic microbial mats in an antarctic lake: a modeling study.

Filamentous cyanobacteria often dominate benthic microbial communities of antarctic lakes and usually exhibit saturation of photosynthesis at light intensities approximately 100 microEinst m-2 s-1. Incident light regimes are controlled by ice and snow accumulations overlaying water columns during much of the year. Thus, light availability to microbial mats is often below saturation intensity and is strongly influenced by modest changes in climatic factors. A model of net primary production for benthic mat communities of the subantarctic Sombre Lake, Signy Island, was developed (1) to evaluate depth-specific productivities of mat communities, (2) to test the relative importances of model parameters to mat production, and (3) to explore the potential impacts of climate change on mat production as manifested through changes in light regime. Simulated rates of net primary production corresponded to observations on a daily basis (approximately 1-4 micrograms C fixed mg-1 ash-free DW of mat d-1) but were an order of magnitude lower than estimates of net annual production based on field measurements (< or = 3 vs. 11-45 g C m-2 yr-1, respectively). Close examination suggested that the simulated values were more plausible. A detailed sensitivity analysis of model behavior revealed that variations in the time of ice and snow melt in spring accounted for 40-60% of the total variation in model behavior, emphasizing the importance of climatic factors to net primary production of mat communities and the sensitivity of mat production to climate change.

Viruses in Antarctic lakes.

Water samples collected from four perennially ice-covered Antarctic lakes during the austral summer of 1996-1997 contained high densities of extracellular viruses. Many of these viruses were found to be morphologically similar to double-stranded DNA viruses that are known to infect algae and protozoa. These constitute the first observations of viruses in perennially ice-covered polar lakes. The abundance of planktonic viruses and data suggesting substantial production potential (relative to bacteria] secondary and photosynthetic primary production) indicate that viral lysis may be a major factor in the regulation of microbial populations in these extreme environments. Furthermore, we suggest that Antarctic lakes may be a reservoir of previously undescribed viruses that possess novel biological and biochemical characteristics.

Oxygen budget of a perennially ice-covered Antarctic lake.

A bulk O2 budget for Lake Hoare, Antarctica, is presented. Five years of seasonal data show the lake to be persistently supersaturated with O2. Oxygen is carried into the lake in glacial meltstreams and is left behind when this water is removed as ice by ablation and sublimation. A diffusive loss of O2 from the lake through the summer moat is suggested. Measured values of the total O2 in the water column indicate that the time scale of O2 turnover is much longer than a year. Based on these results we suggest that the amount of O2 in the water does not change significantly throughout the year and that the lake is also supersaturated with N2.

Sediment oxygen profiles in a super-oxygenated antarctic lake.

Perennially ice-covered lakes are found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. In contrast to temperate lakes that have diurnal photic periods, antarctic (and arctic) lakes have a yearly photic period. An unusual feature of the antarctic lakes is the occurrence of O2 at supersaturated levels in certain portions of the water column. Here we report the first sediment O2 profiles obtained using a microelectrode from a perennially ice-covered antarctic lake. Sediment cores collected in January and October 1987 from Lake Hoare in Taylor Valley show oxygenation down to 15, and in some cases, 25 cm. The oxygenation of sediments several centimeters below the sediment-water interface is atypical for lake sediments and may be characteristic of perennially ice-covered lakes. There is a significant difference between the observed January and October sediment O2 profiles. Several explanations may account for the difference, including seasonality. A time-dependent model is presented which tests the feasibility of a seasonal cycle resulting from the long photoperiod and benthic primary production in sediments overlain by a highly oxygenated water column.

Changes in ice cover thickness and lake level of Lake Hoare, Antarctica: implications for local climatic change.

We report results from 10 years of ice thickness measurements at perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare in southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. The ice cover of this lake had been thinning steadily at a rate exceeding 20 cm yr-1 during the last decade but seems to have recently stabilized at a thickness of 3.3 m. Data concerning lake level and degree-days above freezing are presented to show the relationship between peak summer temperatures and the volume of glacier-derived meltwater entering Lake Hoare each summer. From these latter data we infer that peak summer temperatures have been above 0 degrees C for a progressively longer period of time each year since 1972. We also consider possible explanations for the thinning of the lake ice. The thickness of the ice cover is determined by the balance between freezing during the winter and ablation that occurs all year but maximizes in summer. We suggest that the term most likely responsible for the change in the ice cover thickness at Lake Hoare is the extent of summer melting, consistent with the rising lake levels.

Stable isotopic biogeochemistry of carbon and nitrogen in a perennially ice-covered Antarctic lake.

Lake Hoare (77 degrees 38' S, 162 degrees 53' E) is an amictic, oligotrophic, 34-m-deep, closed-basin lake in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Its perennial ice cover minimizes wind-generated currents and reduces light penetration, as well as restricts sediment deposition into the lake and the exchange of atmospheric gases between the water column and the atmosphere. The biological community of Lake Hoare consists solely of microorganisms -- both planktonic populations and benthic microbial mats. Lake Hoare is one of several perennially ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys that represent the end-member conditions of cold desert and saline lakes. The dry valley lakes provide a unique opportunity to examine lacustrine processes that operate at all latitudes, but under an extreme set of environmental conditions. The dry valley lakes may also offer a valuable record of catchment and global changes in the past and present. Furthermore, these lakes are modern-day equivalents of periglacial lakes that are likely to have been common during periods of glacial maxima at temperate latitudes. We have analyzed the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of Lake Hoare for delta 13C and the organic matter of the sediments and sediment-trap material for delta 13C and delta 15N. The delta 13C of the DIC indicates that 12C is differentially removed in the shallow, oxic portions of the lake via photosynthesis. In the anoxic portions of the lake (27-34 m) a net addition of 12C to the DIC pool occurs via organic matter decomposition. The dissolution of CaCO3 at depth also contributes to the DIC pool. Except near the Canada Glacier where a substantial amount of allochthonous organic matter enters the lake, the organic carbon being deposited on the lake bottom at different sites is isotopically similar, suggesting an autochthonous source for the organic carbon. Preliminary inorganic carbon flux calculations suggest that a high percentage of the organic carbon fixed in the water column is remineralized as it falls through the water column. At nearby Lake Fryxell, the substantial (relative to Lake Hoare) glacial meltstream input overprints Fryxell's shallow-water biological delta 13C signal with delta 13C-depleted DIC. In contrast, Lake Hoare is not significantly affected by surface-water input and mixing, and therefore the delta 13C patterns observed arise primarily from biological dynamics within the lake. Organic matter in Lake Hoare is depleted in 15N, which we suggest is partially the result of the addition of relatively light inorganic nitrogen into the lake system from terrestrial sources.

Operation of an experimental algal gas exchanger for use in a CELSS.

Concepts of a CELSS anticipate the use of photosynthetic organisms (higher plants and algae) for air revitalization. The rates of production and uptake of carbon dioxide and oxygen between the crew and the photosynthetic organisms are mismatched. An algal [correction of aglal] system used for gas exchange only will have the difficulty of an accumulation or depletion of these gases beyond physiologically tolerable limits (in a materially closed system the mismatch between assimilatory quotient (AQ) and respiratory quotient (RQ) will be balanced by the operation of the waste processor). We report the results of a study designed to test the feasibility of using environmental manipulations to maintain physiologically appropriate atmospheres for algae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) and mice (Mus musculus strain DW/J) in a gas-closed system. Specifically, we consider the atmosphere behavior of this system with Chlorella grown on nitrate or urea and at different light intensities and optical densities. Manipulation of both the photosynthetic rate and AQ of the alga has been found to reduce the mismatch of gas requirements and allow operation of the system in a gas-stable manner. Operation of such a system in a CELSS may be useful for reduction of buffer sizes, as a backup system for higher plant air revitalization and to supply extra oxygen to the waste processor or during crew changes. In addition, mass balance for components of the system (mouse, algae and a waste processor) are presented.

Early martian environments: the Antarctic and other terrestrial analogs.

The comparability of the early environments of Mars and Earth, and the biological evolution which occurred on early earth, motivates serious consideration of the possibility of an early martian biota. Environments which could have contained this early martian life and which may presently contain evidence of this former life include aquatic, ice, soil, and rock habitats. Several analogs of these potential early martian environments, which can provide useful information in searching for extinct life on Mars, are currently available for study on Earth. These terrestrial analogs include the perennially ice-covered lakes and sandstone rocks in the Polar Deserts of Antarctica, surface of snowfields and glaciers, desert soils, geothermal springs, and deep subsurface environments.

History of water on Mars: a biological perspective.

We divide the history of water on the Martian surface into four epochs based upon the atmospheric temperature and pressure. In Epoch 1, during which a primordial CO2 atmosphere was actively maintained by impact and volcanic recycling, we presume the mean annual temperature to have been above freezing, the pressure to have exceeded one atmosphere, and liquid water to have been widespread. Under such conditions, similar to early Earth, life could have arisen and become abundant. After this initial period of recycling, atmospheric CO2 was irreversibly lost due to carbonate formation and the pressure and temperature declined. In Epoch II, the mean annual temperature fell below freezing but peak temperatures would have exceeded freezing. Ice covered lakes, similar to those in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica could have provided a habitat for life. In Epoch III, the mean and peak temperatures were below freezing and there would have been only transient liquid water. Microbial ecosystems living in endolithic rock "greenhouses" could have continued to survive. Finally, in Epoch IV, the pressure dropped to near the triple point pressure of water and liquid water could no longer have existed on the surface and life on the surface would have become extinct.

Testing a Mars science outpost in the Antarctic dry valleys.

Field research conducted in the Antarctic has been providing insights about the nature of Mars in the science disciplines of exobiology and geology. Located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land (160 degrees and 164 degrees E longitude and 76 degrees 30' and 78 degrees 30' S latitude), research outposts are inhabited by teams of 4-6 scientists. We propose that the design of these outposts be expanded to enable meaningful tests of many of the systems that will be needed for the successful conduct of exploration activities on Mars. Although there are some important differences between the environment in the Antarctic dry valleys and on Mars, the many similarities and particularly the field science activities, make the dry valleys a useful terrestrial analog to conditions on Mars. Three areas have been identified for testing at a small science outpost in the dry valleys; 1) studying human factors and physiology in an isolated environment; 2) testing emerging technologies (e.g., innovative power management systems, advanced life support facilities including partial bioregenerative life support systems for water recycling and food growth, telerobotics, etc.); and 3) conducting basic scientific research that will enhance our understanding of Mars while contributing to the planning for human exploration. We suggest that an important early result of a Mars habitat program will be the experience gained by interfacing humans and their supporting technology in a remote and stressful environment.

A preliminary comparison of two perennially ice-covered lakes in Antarctica: analogs of past Martian lacustrine environments.

Perennially ice-covered lakes in the Antarctic have been suggested as analogs to lakes which may have existed on the surface of Mars 3.5 billion years ago. During the 1991-1992 austral summer, a joint Russian/American research effort was directed at studies of ice-covered lakes in the Bunger Hills Oasis, Antarctica (66 degrees S, 100 degrees E). The primary objective of the expedition was to investigate this ice-free area for features analogous to ancient martian environments that may have been capable of supporting life and to compare the ice-covered lakes of the Bunger Hills with those in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land (77 degrees S, 166 degrees E) as part of the continuing studies of Antarctic-Mars analogs.

Lake Hoare, Antarctica: sedimentation through a thick perennial ice cover.

Lake Hoare in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica is covered with a perennial ice cover more than 3 m thick, yet there is a complex record of sedimentation and of growth of microbial mats on the lake bottom. Rough topography on the ice covering the lake surface traps sand that is transported by the wind. In late summer, vertical conduits form by melting and fracturing, making the ice permeable to both liquid water and gases. Cross-sections of the ice cover show that sand is able to penetrate into and apparently through it by descending through these conduits. This is the primary sedimentation mechanism in the lake. Sediment traps retrieved from the lake bottom indicate that rates of deposition can vary by large amounts over lateral scales as small as 1 m. This conclusion is supported by cores taken in a 3 x 3 grid with a spacing of 1.5 m. Despite the close spacing of the cores, the poor stratigraphic correlation that is observed indicates substantial lateral variability in sedimentation rate. Apparently, sand descends into the lake from discrete, highly localized sources in the ice that may in some cases deposit a large amount of sand into the lake in a very short time. In some locations on the lake bottom, distinctive sand mounds have been formed by this process. They are primary sedimentary structures and appear unique to the perennially ice-covered lacustrine environment. In some locations they are tens of centimetres high and gently rounded with stable slopes; in others they reach approximately 1 m in height and have a conical shape with slopes at angle of repose. A simple formation model suggests that these differences can be explained by local variations in water depth and sedimentation rate. Rapid colonization of fresh sand surfaces by microbial mats composed of cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and heterotrophic bacteria produces a complex intercalation of organic and sandy layers that are a distinctive form of modern stromatolites.

An Antarctic research outpost as a model for planetary exploration.

During the next 50 years, human civilization may well begin expanding into the solar system. This colonization of extraterrestrial bodies will most likely begin with the establishment of small research outposts on the Moon and/or Mars. In all probability these facilities, designed primarily for conducting exploration and basic science, will have international participation in their crews, logistical support and funding. High fidelity Earth-based simulations of planetary exploration could help prepare for these expensive and complex operations. Antarctica provides one possible venue for such a simulation. The hostile and remote dry valleys of southern Victoria Land offer a valid analog to the Martian environment but are sufficiently accessible to allow routine logistical support and to assure the relative safety of their inhabitants. An Antarctic research outpost designed as a planetary exploration simulation facility would have great potential as a testbed and training site for the operation of future Mars bases and represents a near-term, relatively low-cost alternative to other precursor activities. Antarctica already enjoys an international dimension, an aspect that is more than symbolically appropriate to an international endeavor of unprecedented scientific and social significance--planetary exploration by humans. Potential uses of such a facility include: 1) studying human factors in an isolated environment (including long-term interactions among an international crew); 2) testing emerging technologies (e.g., advanced life support facilities such as a partial bioregenerative life support system, advanced analytical and sample acquisition instrumentation and equipment, etc.); and 3) conducting basic scientific research similar to the research that will be conducted on Mars, while contributing to the planning for human exploration. (Research of this type is already ongoing in Antarctica).

Comparison of five allopatric fruit fly parasitoid populations (Psyttalia species) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from coffee fields using morphometric and molecular methods.

Morphometric studies of five allopatric parasitoid populations (genus Psyttalia Walker) from coffee plantations in Cameroon (Nkolbisson), Ghana (Tafo) and Kenya (Rurima, Ruiru and Shimba Hills) and one non-coffee population (from Muhaka, Kenya) were compared with individuals of Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti), a species released in several biological control programmes in the Mediterranean Region since the 20th Century. Analyses of wing vein measurements showed the second submarginal cell of the fore wing and its adjoining veins had the heaviest principal component weights and served as the main contributing variables in the diagnostic differentiation of the populations. Two populations (Rurima and Ruiru) were found to be the closest to each other and with the strongest phenetic affinity toward P. concolor (and forming one cluster). Populations from Shimba Hills (of unknown identity), Nkolbisson (P. perproximus (Silvestri)) and Tafo formed a second cluster and were separated from P. concolor. Comparison using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) also showed the Shimba, Nkolbisson and Tafo populations forming a cluster in a dendrogram generated from their genetic distances, with the Shimba and Tafo populations placed as the most closely related species. Based on consistent morphological similarities, morphometric and ecological data coupled with the genetic evidence from AFLP data, the Shimba population is suggested as belonging to the P. perproximus group and, thus, represents a new occurrence record in Kenya. Our results also support earlier conclusion from cross mating data that populations from Rurima and Ruiru belong to the Psyttalia concolor species-group.

Molecular diagnostics of economically important Ceratitis fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa using PCR and RFLP analyses.

The predominantly Afrotropical fruit fly genus Ceratitis contains many species of agricultural importance. Consequently, quarantine of Ceratitis species is a major concern for governmental regulatory agencies. Although diagnostic keys exist for identification of all described Ceratitis species, these tools are based on adult characters. Flies intercepted at ports of entry are usually immatures, and Ceratitis species cannot be diagnosed based on larval morphology. To facilitate identification of Ceratitis pests at ports of entry, this study explores the utility of DNA-based diagnostic tools for a select group of Ceratitis species and related tephritids, some of which infest agriculturally important crops in Africa. The application of the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method to analyse three mitochondrial genes (12S ribosomal RNA, 16S ribosomal RNA, and NADH-dehydrogenase subunit 6) is sufficient to diagnose 25 species and two species clusters. PCR analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS-1) is able to distinguish three of the five species left unresolved by mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Opiine parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of tropical fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of the Australian and South Pacific region.

Opiine wasps are parasitoids of dacine fruit flies, the primary horticultural pests of Australia and the South Pacific. A taxonomic synopsis and distribution and host records (44% of which are new) for each of the 15 species of dacine-parasitizing opiine braconids found in the South Pacific is presented. Species dealt with are Diachasmimorpha hageni (Fullaway), D. kraussii (Fullaway), D. longicaudata (Ashmead), D. tryoni (Cameron), Fopius arisanus (Sonan), F. deeralensis (Fullaway), F. ferrari Carmichael & Wharton sp. n., F. illusorius (Fischer) comb. n., F. schlingeri Wharton, Opius froggatti Fullaway, Psyttalia fijiensis (Fullaway), P. muesebecki (Fischer), P. novaguineensis (Szépligeti) and Utetes perkinsi (Fullaway). A potentially undescribed species, which may be a colour morph of F. vandenboschi (Fullaway), is diagnosed but not formally described. Fopius vandenboschi sensu stricto, Diachasmimorpha fullawayi Silvestri, Psyttalia concolor Szépligeti and P. incisi Silvestri have been liberated into the region but are not considered to have established: a brief diagnosis of each is included. Biosteres illusorius Fischer is formally transferred to the genus Fopius. A single opiine specimen reared from a species of Bactrocera (Bulladacus) appears to be Utetes albimanus (Szépligeti), but damage to this specimen and to the holotype (the only previously known specimen) means that this species remains unconfirmed as a fruit fly parasite: a diagnosis of U. cf. albimanus is provided. Psyttalia novaguineensis could not be adequately separated from P. fijiensis using previously published characterizations and further work to resolve this complex is recommended. A key is provided to all taxa.

Under the ice in Antarctica.

NASA: The 1985 Antarctic Scientific Research Expedition to Lake Hoare in Taylor Valley is briefly described. Of particular interest to to the expedition is the nature of the lake's perennial ice cover and its role in concentrating dissolved gases. Also, the algal mats and sediment found on the bottom of the lake were studied. Antarctic lakes have been cited as possible analogs for possible biological habitats on Mars and on Europa.^ieng