Early melt ionic pulses within cryoconite holes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: insight into microbial nutrient cycling and ecosystem function Targeted Locus (Loci). terrestrial metagenome

Ice-lidded cryoconite holes provide habitable oases for life on glaciers within the McMurdo Dry Valleys during the austral summer, yet many details of how these ecosystems function remain uncertain. In this study we follow cryoconite holes on Canada glacier from the pre-melt season when they are still fully frozen, through the first melt pulse of ion enriched waters, to more fully developed cryoconite holes. We examine temporal changes in the geochemistry, microbial activity (photosynthesis, bacterial production, nitrogenase activity) and microbial diversity.