Overwintering populations of Mesodinium rubrum (Ciliophora: Haptorida) in lakes of the Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica |
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Authors: | J A E Gibson Kerrie M Swadling Tracey M Pitman Harry R Burton |
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Institution: | (1) Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia, AU;(2) Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252C, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia, AU |
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Abstract: | The autotrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum Lohmann was observed during winter and spring in saline lakes ranging in salinity from 2 to 78‰ in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica.
The ciliate remained active during winter, and contained chlorophyll even though the level of light available for photosynthesis
was minimal. No evidence of encystment as a means of survival during winter was observed. A seasonal study in one of the lakes,
Ace Lake, revealed that M. rubrum was present throughout the year at abundances ranging from 1×104 to 3.5×105 cells l-1. During the winter period, when little light penetrated the lake’s ice cover, cells were most common immediately under the
ice at 2 m, where cell numbers were typically 8×104 cells l-1.
Received: 3 January 1996/Accepted: 21 April 1996 |
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