Population growth of two limno-terrestrial Antarctic microinvertebrates in different aqueous soil media

In this study, tested two different laboratory culturing media for two limno-terrestrial Antarctic microinvertebrates, a rotifer (Habrotrocha sp.) and a tardigrade (Acutuncus antarcticus). Population growth of the rotifers was monitored in the two growth media for 60 days and the tardigrades were monitored for 160 days. We also tested for optimal dilution of soil elutriate in rotifer cultures over a 36 day period. This data file contains results from a series of culturing tests to determine the effectiveness of aqueous, soil-like culturing media for two limno-terrestrial Antarctic microinvertebrate, a rotifer Habrotrocha sp. and a tardigrade Acutuncus antarcticus.The tests were run at RMIT university and Melbourne University between July 2020 and September 2021.Test biota were isolated from soil and moss samples collected from Casey Research station, Antarctica and maintained in a temperature controlled cabinet at 10°C with 12/12 hour light dark cycle prior to testing. Test solutions were a soil elutriate (1:1 soil:ultrapure water v/v) prepared from soil collected from the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica, a balanced salt solution (BSS), and a dilution series of the soil elutriate diluted with ultrapure water. BSS was prepared as per Piggott 2000 (https://doi.org/10.1163/156854100509349).These were 3 tests; comparison of population growth of tardigrades in BSS and soil elutriate, comparison of population growth of rotifers in BSS and soil elutriate, population growth of rotifers in a dilution series of soil elutriate.The comparison tests started with 5 individual microinvertebrates (rotifers or tardigrades) per replicate, and the dilution series test started with 1 individual rotifer per replicate.A complete description of the methods utilised is published in the study associated with this record (DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32905-x).本研究针对两种南极淡水陆生微型无脊椎动物——轮虫（Habrotrocha sp.）与缓步动物（Acutuncus antarcticus），测试了两种不同的实验室培养培养基。针对两种培养基中轮虫的种群增长开展了为期60天的监测，缓步动物的监测时长则为160天。此外，我们还在36天的周期内，测试了轮虫培养液中土壤浸出液的最优稀释比例。 本数据集包含一系列培养测试的结果，旨在探究水基类土壤培养培养基对上述两种南极淡水陆生微型无脊椎动物（轮虫Habrotrocha sp.与缓步动物Acutuncus antarcticus）的培养效果。测试于2020年7月至2021年9月间在皇家墨尔本理工大学（RMIT）与墨尔本大学开展。 试验生物分离自南极凯西研究站采集的土壤与苔藓样本，并在试验前于温度受控的培养箱中以10℃、12小时光照/12小时黑暗的周期进行预培养。 试验所用溶液包括：从南极东部风车群岛采集的土壤制备的土壤浸出液（土壤与超纯水体积比1:1）、平衡盐溶液（Balanced Salt Solution, BSS，参照Piggott 2000的方法制备，https://doi.org/10.1163/156854100509349），以及用超纯水对土壤浸出液进行梯度稀释得到的系列稀释液。 本研究共开展三项测试：分别比较缓步动物在BSS与土壤浸出液中的种群增长、轮虫在BSS与土壤浸出液中的种群增长，以及轮虫在土壤浸出液梯度稀释体系中的种群增长。 种群增长对比测试的每个重复样本初始接种5只微型无脊椎动物（轮虫或缓步动物），梯度稀释系列测试的每个重复样本初始接种1只轮虫。 本研究所用方法的完整描述已发表于本数据集关联的研究论文（DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32905-x）。