Revealing unexplored bacterial and fungal variability in interconnected Antarctic brines.

ABSTRACT: Subsurface Antarctic brines represent highly selective habitats shaped by extreme physicochemical conditions. Here, the microbial communities of three hypersaline brines (B2, BCR, BCM) from Boulder Clay, Northern Victoria Land, which differ in salinity, pH, trace elements, and glaciological context, have been characterized. High-throughput sequencing was used to reveal that each brine hosts distinct bacterial and fungal assemblies, shaped by local environmental filters. Despite their proximity and some connectivity, microbial communities showed strong taxonomic differentiation and habitat-associated structuring, with significant divergence in diversity and indicator taxa. B2, the most saline, hosted halotolerant bacteria and many unclassified fungi, indicating strong selection and the pres

SUBMITTER: Papale M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811473 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature