Abstract

“Glacier algae” grow on melting glacier and ice sheet surfaces across the cryosphere, causing the ice to absorb more solar energy and consequently melt faster, while also turning over carbon and nutrients. This makes glacier algal assemblages, which are typically dominated by just three main species, a potentially important yet under-researched component of the global biosphere, carbon, and water cycles. This review synthesizes current knowledge on glacier algae phylogenetics, physiology, and ecology. We discuss their significance for the evolution of early land plants and highlight their impacts on the physical and chemical supraglacial environment including their role as drivers of positive feedbacks to climate warming, thereby demonstrating their influence on Earth’s past and future. Four complementary research priorities are identified, which will facilitate broad advances in glacier algae research, including establishment of reliable culture collections, sequencing of glacier algae genomes, development of diagnostic biosignatures for remote sensing, and improved predictive modeling of glacier algae biological-albedo effects.

Highlights

  • Glacier surfaces are home to diverse and active microbial communities (Hodson et al, 2008; Stibal et al, 2012; Anesio et al, 2017)

  • Glacier Algae Past and Future environments (Hoham and Duval, 2001), we propose here the adoption of “glacier algae” to refer to this group of surface ice inhabiting Streptophytes

  • The low diversity of assemblages has resonated throughout more than 20 studies, with just three key species typically present (Figure 1); the chained filamentous Ancylonema nordenskiöldii, two varieties of the unicellular Mesotaenium berggrenii distinguishable by their size and number of chloroplasts within freshly divided cells (Kol, 1968; Ling and Seppelt, 1993; Remias et al, 2009) and the unicellular Cylindrocystis brebissonii

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Glacier surfaces are home to diverse and active microbial communities (Hodson et al, 2008; Stibal et al, 2012; Anesio et al, 2017). One key group of supraglacial primary producers are heavily pigmented green microalgae of the Mesotaeniaceae (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta), first documented by Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld during his explorations of Greenland (Nordenskiöld, 1872). The importance of these microalgae is manifested both through the insights they can provide into the development of the world’s terrestrial flora and their acceleration of glacier wastage, expanding the rationale for their study. This minireview aims to synthesize current knowledge on these algae, drawing on recent research pertaining to their phylogeny, physiology, ecology, and impacts in supraglacial systems. Glacier Algae Past and Future environments (Hoham and Duval, 2001), we propose here the adoption of “glacier algae” to refer to this group of surface ice inhabiting Streptophytes

TAXONOMY AND PHYLOGENETICS
ECOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY
IMPACTS TO ENVIRONMENT
FUTURE RESEARCH PRIORITIES
Establishment of Reliable Culture Collections
Sequencing of Glacier Algae Genomes
Develop Diagnostic Biosignatures for Glacier Algae Remote Sensing

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