Diversity and connectivity of microbial eukaryotes in High Arctic terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
7 affiliations
- 1Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.
- 2Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
- 3Département de Biologie, Takuvik International Research Laboratory and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
- 4Centre d'études nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
- 5Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
- 6Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, Weymouth DT4 8UB, United Kingdom.
- 7Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
Abstract
High Arctic ecosystems are being rapidly altered by climate change. Increased permafrost thaw and rainfall are making terrestrial landscapes more hydrologically active, increasing the input of organic and inorganic material into freshwater systems and freshening coastal marine ecosystems. Understanding the ecological implications of this environmental change requires an improved taxonomic and ecological resolution for less-studied microbial eukaryote communities. Microbial communities were investigated from freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal marine ecosystems on Ward Hunt Island, Ward Hunt Ice Shelf and Ellesmere Island along the coastal margin of the Last Ice Area, Canadian High Arctic. For the first time, Arctic microbial eukaryotic diversity was assessed using full-length 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding sequencing. Terrestrial microbial eukaryotic richness correlated with soil moisture, extending biogeographical patterns observed in lower latitudes. A greater connectivity between terrestrial and freshwater, than to coastal communities was identified, with a predicted input of terrestrial microbial eukaryotes into the Ward Hunt Lake microplankton. As Arctic catchments become more hydrologically active, increased transport of microbial eukaryotes may strengthen connectivity and homogenisation between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, while greater freshwater inputs may alter microbial diversity in adjacent coastal waters.
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BibTeX
@article{hooper2026diversity,
title = {{Diversity and connectivity of microbial eukaryotes in High Arctic terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.}},
author = {P M Hooper and W F Vincent and C Girard and E J Feil and D Bass and A D Jungblut},
journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiag096},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42961039},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Diversity and connectivity of microbial eukaryotes in High Arctic terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
AU - P M Hooper
AU - W F Vincent
AU - C Girard
AU - E J Feil
AU - D Bass
AU - A D Jungblut
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - FEMS microbiology ecology
DO - 10.1093/femsec/fiag096
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42961039
AB - High Arctic ecosystems are being rapidly altered by climate change. Increased permafrost thaw and rainfall are making terrestrial landscapes more hydrologically active, increasing the input of organic and inorganic material into freshwater systems and freshening coastal marine ecosystems. Understanding the ecological implications of this environmental change requires an improved taxonomic and ecological resolution for less-studied microbial eukaryote communities. Microbial communities were investigated from freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal marine ecosystems on Ward Hunt Island, Ward Hunt Ice Shelf and Ellesmere Island along the coastal margin of the Last Ice Area, Canadian High Arctic. For the first time, Arctic microbial eukaryotic diversity was assessed using full-length 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding sequencing. Terrestrial microbial eukaryotic richness correlated with soil moisture, extending biogeographical patterns observed in lower latitudes. A greater connectivity between terrestrial and freshwater, than to coastal communities was identified, with a predicted input of terrestrial microbial eukaryotes into the Ward Hunt Lake microplankton. As Arctic catchments become more hydrologically active, increased transport of microbial eukaryotes may strengthen connectivity and homogenisation between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, while greater freshwater inputs may alter microbial diversity in adjacent coastal waters.
SN - 0168-6496
SN - 1574-6941
ER -