title: Perennial Antarctic lake ice: an oasis for life in a polar desert.
abstract: The permanent ice covers of Antarctic lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys develop liquid water inclusions in response to solar heating of internal aeolian-derived sediments. The ice sediment particles serve as nutrient (inorganic and organic)-enriched microzones for the establishment of a physiologically and ecologically complex microbial consortium capable of contemporaneous photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and decomposition. The consortium is capable of physically and chemically establishing and modifying a relatively nutrient- and organic matter-enriched microbial "oasis" embedded in the lake ice cover.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA. 59717, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Priscu
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fritsen
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Giovannoni
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Paerl
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Lanoil
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pinckney
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D018559:Exobiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D007053:Ice; D018538:Jupiter; D018535:Mars; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D007053:Ice; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon