Dynamics of Antarctic marine microbial communities in the face of climate change

The polar regions, especially the Arctic and the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP), are experiencing some of the fastest rates of climate change on the planet. Yet, in the face of such rapid change, we have a very poor understanding of polar microbial dynamics, both in time and space. Given marine microbes important roles in nutrient cycling and influence on biogeochemistry in the wider ecosystem, this is a critical knowledge gap. The overall objective of this project is to understand the impact of seasonal variation on the microbial diversity of the Antarctic marine environment using samples collected over 14 years. Environmental metagenomics will be used to profile prokaryotic diversity including metabolic functions and the diversity and functions of prokaryotic viruses. The advances we will make will provide a step change understanding in Antarctic microbial community biodiversity, their functions and their changing role in ecosystem and climate processes, thus producing better predictions of future change in this vulnerable region. This project is in collaboration with Prof. Melody Clark at the British Antarctic Survey/Cambridge University.