Microbial and biogeochemical parameters relating to glacier surface microbiota on Arctic (Svalbard) and Antarctic (Livingston Island) glaciers, 2019-2020
GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02124
Abstract:
The dataset comprises measurements of geochemical parameters (major ions, ICP-MS), microbial abundance (16S qPCR, for ice cores from Foxfonna only), metabolite mass ions (electrospray mass spectrometry) and bacterial community structure (16S rRNA gene sequencing for Svalbard only) from Foxfonna, Svalbard and Livingston Island, Antarctica. In each location, samples of ice, snow, meltwater and runoff were collected, with additional marine samples collected from Livingston Island.
This work was funded by NERC Standard Grant NE/S001034/1.
Citation:
Edwards, A., Rassner, S., Mitchell, A., & Mur, L. (2026). Microbial and biogeochemical parameters relating to glacier surface microbiota on Arctic (Svalbard) and Antarctic (Livingston Island) glaciers, 2019-2020 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/e5e90ae2-a221-41fd-bd1c-8ad809b3aa93
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License
| Access: | None |
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| Use: | This data is governed by the NERC data policy (http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/policy/) and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3 (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). |
Basic Information
| Creation Date: | 2025-12-02 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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Additional Information
| Reference: | Rassner, S.M.E., Cook, J.M., Mitchell, A.C., Stevens, I.T., Irvine-Fynn, T.D.L., Hodson, A.J. et al. (2024) The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro-habitats. Environmental Microbiology, 26(4), e16617. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617 NCBI taxon id: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=1651087 |
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| Quality: | Negative controls comprising autoclaved, 0.22 µm filtered milli-Q water were collected and co-processed in the field for all experiments. Quantitative PCR was performed with 27F-1389R plasmid-borne standards for calibration, and all molecular experiments included laboratory no-template-controls. For HPLC, A linear 5-point in-range calibrationwas used for each run using calibration standards pre-pared from NaH2PO4.H2O, NaCl, NaNO3,Na2SO4,C2H3NaO2, NaHCOO and Na2CO3. All concentrationswere blank corrected using Sterivex filtered 18 MΩwater procedural blanks. Accuracy and precision were±3.4% and ±4.2% respectively based upon repeat anal-ysis of 1 mg/L standards. For TOC analysis, standard comprised sucrose for DOC and sodium carbonates for DIC, and run on non-inorganic carbon removal mode, due to the low concentrations of DIC relative to DOC in samples. | |
| Lineage/Methodology: | Svalbard samples were collected in the ablation zone of Foxfonna in June-August 2019. At weekly intervals, 1 m ice cores were collected from the surface of Foxfonna, and the porewater recharging into the core boreholes sampled, along with snow when present and meltwater discharging from a stream. Passive dust traps based upon sterile glass marble beads were used to capture aeolian deposits at weekly intervals. Furthermore, in August 2019, 16 ice cores were collected from the surface of Foxfonna in four stations each with four replicates. These were split to water-saturated weathering crust ice and the underlying englacial ice. For Livingston island, samples of snow, surface ice, glacier outflow stream and seawater were collected in January 2020. All samples were collected in independent quadruplicates and filtered through 0.22 um sterivex before PowerWater Sterivex (Qiagen) DNA extraction. A negative control was processed in parallel. A negative control was processed in parallel. For molecular analyses, 515F-806R primers for 16S rRNA genes were used in PCR prior to sequencing at the Cardiff University Genome Hub MiSeq using 2x250 bp reads while Repli-G whole genome amplified metagenomic DNA was sent for 2x150 bp sequencing on anIllumina NovaSeq by Novogene, UK, Ltd. For 16S qPCR, 27F-1389R primers were used for 35 cycles in a Mic real time PCR cycler (BioMolecularSystems, Inc.) The copy number of gene and 16S rRNA molecules was estimated from a plasmid-borne 27F-1389R standard, and converted to copies per water equivalent volume. For metabolite analyses, melted ice/snow or water samples were capped in vials before analysis in randomised order on a LTQ linear ion trap (Thermo Electron Corporation). Data were acquired in alternating positive and negative ionization modes over 4 scan ranges (15-110, 100-220, 210-510, and 500-1200 m/z), with an acquisition time of 5 min. The resulting mass spectrum was the mean of 20 scans about the apex of the infusion profile. For geochemical analysis, Sterivex filtrate was analysed using HPLC for acetate, formate, sulfate, phosphate, nitrate, and chloride and DOC/DIC on a Sievers M9 TOC analyser, while trace elements were analysed on the Aberystwyth ICP-MS platform. Further information on analytical methods can be found in Rassner et al. (2024; https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16617) with the exception of 16S qPCR and metabolite profiles. | |
Extent
| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2019-07-11 |
| End Date | 2019-07-28 |
| Start Date | 2020-01-17 |
| End Date | 2020-01-23 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | 78.14387 |
| Northernmost | 78.15127 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | 16.12277 |
| Easternmost | 16.11042 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | -62.68332 |
| Northernmost | -62.67447 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | -60.42517 |
| Easternmost | -60.35331 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | N/A |
| Max Depth | N/A |
| Location: | |
| Location | Svalbard |
| Detailed Location | Foxfonna glacier |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Detailed Location | Livingston Island |