Diatom assemblages promote ice formation in large lakes.

ABSTRACT: We present evidence for the directed formation of ice by planktonic communities dominated by filamentous diatoms sampled from the ice-covered Laurentian Great Lakes. We hypothesize that ice formation promotes attachment of these non-motile phytoplankton to overlying ice, thereby maintaining a favorable position for the diatoms in the photic zone. However, it is unclear whether the diatoms themselves are responsible for ice nucleation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed associations of bacterial epiphytes with the dominant diatoms of the phytoplankton assemblage, and bacteria isolated from the phytoplankton showed elevated temperatures of crystallization (T(c)) as high as -3 °C. Ice nucleation-active bacteria were identified as belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, but we could not demonst

SUBMITTER: D'souza NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3721118 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature