Antarctic marine microbial diversity

This study examined Antarctic phytoplankton-bacteria associations and their influence on marine sulfur cycling along a coastal gradient from an inner fjord of the Sorsdal glacier to the open ocean. Phytoplankton abundance, as measured by microscopy, increased with distance from the glacier, with a corresponding increase in DMSP concentrations toward the open ocean, likely attributed to the increased abundance of Phaeocystis and other phytoplankton. Microbial community composition was characterised with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, with significant differences observed across sites, linked to glacial-influence and open ocean processes.