Marine Biofilm Community in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica

Microbial biodiversity of marine biofilm communities developed on polyvinyl chloride panels submerged in Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) during the Italian National Antarctic Research Program - ANT Biofilm campaign was assessed for ecological and bioprospecting purposes using both culture-independent and -dependent approaches. Panels were deployed in two sites under different degrees of anthropogenic pollution (Road Bay - impacted site, RB, and Punta Stocchino - pristine control, PTS). Biofilm samples were collected after three (November 2017 - January 2018, Jan) or twelve months (November 2017 - November 2018, Nov) to evaluate both short- and long-term microbial colonization.