High Arctic Snow and Freshwater 16S rDNA metagenomes
Diversity of bacterial communities in High Arctic snow and freshwater as revealed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes
Snow and freshwater were collected in Spring 2007 at Station Nord in North-eastern Greenland. Snow on the sea-ice was sampled in Dagmar Sund (81*36.58'N; 16* 42.83'W) between Station Nord and Prinsesse Dagmar Island, while the freshwater samples were taken from a small ice and snow covered lake about two km south of the station (81*34.48'N ; 16* 37.46'W).  The sampling depths in the snow were: top-snow (31-52 cm depth) middle-snow (75-90 cm depth) bottom-snow (96-112 cm depth)
The goal of this study was to explore questions about the bacterial diversity in different snow layers and an ice-covered freshwater lake in the High Arctic.   Bacterial community structures in High Arctic snow and an ice covered freshwater lake were examined by pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA. The phylogenetic composition of the microbial assemblages differed among snow layers and between snow and freshwater. The highest diversity was seen in snow.