The Larsemann Hills

Sampling in the Larsemann Hills was done in partnership with the BAS ANARE project: Palaeolimnological investigations of coastal continental lakes in the Larsemann Hills (Project no 2112)  A great diversity microbial mats were collected from 70 lakes on a transect from the Bolingen Islands to the Vestfold Hills, including lakes from the Larsemann Hills and offshore Islands and the Rauer Islands.

Lakes were selected to cover a wide range of chemical environments to maximise the potential for microbial diversity in the sampling program. Live samples of microbial mat are now stored under light in sterile culture tubes containing growth media for algae (at University of Gent) and cyanobacteria (at University of Liege). Samples of microbial mats have also been frozen for later use in community composition studies.

Long sediment core sequences of layered fossil microbial mats were collected for the examination of past biodiversity.

Field sampling in the Larsemann Hills was carried out by Dominic Hodgson and Pip Noon (BAS).