Terrestrial biology

Antarctic cryptoendolithic microbialecosystem research during the

1983-1984 austral summer

E. I. FRIEDMANN

Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State University

Tallahassee, Florida 32306

The exploration of the crytoendolithic microbial communityin the Ross Desert* of southern Victoria Land began in 1974.Field studies have been carried out yearly since the 1976-1977season. This microbial community, the dominant, if not sole,community of the antarctic desert, forms an ecosystem that issimple with respect to trophic levels and species number, al-though the organisms span a wide taxonomic range. Because ofits simplicity, it is eminently suitable for a comprehensive ana-lytical study. Such a study, in turn, raises a wide rang of biolog-ical problems which call for a variety of approaches and meth-odologies. It is now also evident that these problems cannot beunderstood without considering the complex interactions be-tween the biological and geological-geochemical process orwithout the study of the physical (microclimatic) environment.

These requirements necessitated a multidisciplinary ap-proach that could be realized only by the cooperation of severalscientists and laboratories. These scientists now form the ant-arctic cryptoendolithic microbial ecosystem research groupwith over 20 members from nearly as many laboratories in theUnited States, Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Aus-

* Ross Desert is an unofficial name but has been proposed to theAdvisory Committee on Antarctic Names. It is used here to indicatethe ice-free region of southern Victoria Land, between approximately76°30' and 78°30'S. The designation "dry valleys," often used for thisarea, is a misnomer because the region includes mountain ranges aswell as valleys. The unofficial name "McMurdo oasis" is similarlyunsuited, because this region is a true desert.

tria. The work of the group is coordinated by the exchange ofmaterials, (collected specimens, living cultures, and oberva-tional and experimental data), through the publication of aregular newsletter, and by yearly workshop symposia whereresults of ongoing research are discussed and plans for thecoming field season finalized. The annual symposia have beenheld in Washington, D.C. (1982), in Santa Fe, New Mexico,(1983), and in Cincinnati, Ohio (1984).

Senior investigators from diverse disciplines regularly par-ticipate in the yearly field work. Members of the field groupduring the 1983-1984 season were: T.W. Federle (University ofAlabama), M. Hale (Smithsonian Institution), C.P. McKay (Na-tional Aeronautic and Space Administration/Ames ResearchCenter), R. Ocampo-Friedmann (Florida A&M University), J.R.Vestal (University of Cincinnati), H.S. Vishniac (OklahomaState University), Ging-Hoen Huang (graduate student, FloridaState University), and E. I. Friedmann (Florida StateUniversity).

Some preliminary results of the field activities of the groupare being reported by Hale and Ocampo-Friedmann; McKayand Friedmann; Vestal, Federle, and Friedmann; and Vishniac(Antarctic Journal, this issue).

Field research of the antarctic cryptoendolithic microbial eco-system research group is supported by National Science Foun-dation grant DPP 83-14180; laboratory research is supported byNational Aeronautics and Space Administration grant NSG 7337.

References

Hale, M.E., and R. Ocampo-Friedmann, 1984. Ascospore cultures oflichen phycobionts from the antarctic desert. Antarctic Journal of theU.S., 19(5).

McKay, C.P., and E.I. Friedmann, 1984. Continuous temperature mea-surements in the cryptoendolithic microbial habitat by satellite-relaydata acquisition system. Antarctic Journal of the U.S., 19(5).

Vestal, JR., T.W. Federle, and E.I. Friedmann. 1984. The effects of lightand temperature on the antarctic cryptoendolithic microbiota in vitro.Antarctic Journal of the U.S., 19(5).

Vishniac, H.S. 1984. Yeast biomass in Ross Desert soils: Evaluation ofquantitation methods and sample transport effects. Antarctic Journalof the U.S., 19(5).

1984 REVIEW 169