Team Protist flew back to McMurdo to conduct a week-long growth incubation experiment (and also for showers and clean laundry!). The team collected lake water samples from Lake Bonney and enriched the samples with nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to investigate the impact of nutrient addition on microbial growth. This experiment is of interest to us because Lake Bonney is naturally low in nutrients, but nutrient inputs into the lake are predicted to increase with climate warming.
Amber set up the experiment in a low temperature incubator with light levels similar to what the microorganisms experience in their natural habitat. After adding the nutrients, samples were taken every day to track changes in the relative abundance of photosynthetic microbes.
Additionally, Wei analyzed samples using microscopic techniques to determine if the microbes had altered their feeding capabilities when grown in nutrient rich conditions. For example, are microbes acquiring carbon (food source) through photosynthesis or ingestion of smaller microbes.
The results of this experiment will be analyzed back in the U.S. lab. In the meantime, Team Protist will head back out to the field to complete lake water sampling for the 2012 field season.
The results of this experiment will be analyzed back in the U.S. lab. In the meantime, Team Protist will head back out to the field to complete lake water sampling for the 2012 field season.