title: Aerobiology Over Antarctica - A New Initiative for Atmospheric Ecology.
abstract: The role of aerial dispersal in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of coordinated efforts in gathering data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. It has been long known that the rate of dispersal to an ecosystem can significantly influence ecosystem dynamics, and that aerial transport has been identified as an important source of biological input to remote locations. With the considerable effort devoted in recent decades to understanding atmospheric circulation in the south-polar region, a unique opportunity has emerged to investigate the atmospheric ecology of Antarctica, from regional to continental scales. This concept note identifies key questions in Antarctic microbial biogeography and the need for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to address such questions. A consortium of polar aerobiologists is established to bring together researchers with a common interest in the airborne dispersion of microbes and other propagules in the Antarctic, with opportunities for comparative studies in the Arctic.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria UniversityNewcastle-upon-Tyne, UK; British Antarctic SurveyCambridge, UK.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.affiliation: Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute Saint Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Irina A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Alekhina
authors.affiliation: Australian Antarctic Division Kingston, TAS, Australia.
authors.forename: Aleks
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terauds
authors.affiliation: University of Liege Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilmotte
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.affiliation: Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, UK.
authors.forename: Arwyn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble France.
authors.forename: Aurelien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dommergue
authors.affiliation: University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sattler
authors.affiliation: Brigham Young University Provo, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Byron J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: International Medical University Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wan-Loy
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, Princeton University Princeton, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Maggie C Y
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cary
authors.affiliation: NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Diana H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.affiliation: Universidad de la República Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eguren
authors.affiliation: Rhodes University Grahamstown, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gwynneth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matcher
authors.affiliation: University of Bristol Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: German Aerospace Center Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: de Vera
authors.affiliation: University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Botany of the Academy of Science of the Czech RepublicTřeboň, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elster
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Northumbria University Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Lewis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuthbertson
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ, German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Liane G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Benning
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gunde-Cimerman
authors.affiliation: British Antarctic Survey Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Convey
authors.affiliation: Korea Polar Research Institute Incheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Auckland University of Technology Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Steve B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pointing
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Sao Paulo Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vivian H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Pellizari
authors.affiliation: Laval University Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Warwick F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Vincent
keywords: Antarctica; aerobiology; biodiversity; biogeography; metadata