Snow algae

An example of snow algae

Snow algae are a group of freshwater micro-algae that grow in the alpine and polar regions of the Earth.[1] Snow algae have been found on every continent but are restricted to areas with temperatures between 0°C-10°C.[2] Snow algae are pigmented by chlorophyll and carotenoids and can be a variety of colors depending on the individual species, life stage, and topography/geography.[3][4] The pigmentation of snow algae reduces snow and ice albedo, which can stimulate the melting of perennial snow and ice and exacerbate the effects of climate change.[5] Snow algae are primary producers that form the basis of communities on snow or ice sheets that include microbes, tardigrades, and rotifers.[6][7] Snow algae have also been carried great distances by winds.[8]

  1. ^ Leya, Thomas (2013), Seckbach, Joseph; Oren, Aharon; Stan-Lotter, Helga (eds.), "Snow Algae: Adaptation Strategies to Survive on Snow and Ice", Polyextremophiles: Life Under Multiple Forms of Stress, Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol. 27, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 401–423, doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6488-0_17, ISBN 978-94-007-6488-0, retrieved 2022-03-03
  2. ^ Hoham, Ronald W.; Remias, Daniel (April 2020). "Snow and Glacial Algae: A Review 1". Journal of Phycology. 56 (2): 264–282. Bibcode:2020JPcgy..56..264H. doi:10.1111/jpy.12952. ISSN 0022-3646. PMC 7232433. PMID 31825096.
  3. ^ Spijkerman, Elly; Wacker, Alexander; Weithoff, Guntram; Leya, Thomas (2012). "Elemental and fatty acid composition of snow algae in Arctic habitats". Frontiers in Microbiology. 3: 380. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00380. ISSN 1664-302X. PMC 3482990. PMID 23112797.
  4. ^ Thomas, William H.; Duval, Brian (November 1995). "Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., Snow Algae: Snow Albedo Changes, Algal-Bacterial Interrelationships, and Ultraviolet Radiation Effects". Arctic and Alpine Research. 27 (4): 389. doi:10.2307/1552032. ISSN 0004-0851. JSTOR 1552032.
  5. ^ Onuma, Yukihiko; Takeuchi, Nozomu; Tanaka, Sota; Nagatsuka, Naoko; Niwano, Masashi; Aoki, Teruo (2020-06-29). "Physically based model of the contribution of red snow algal cells to temporal changes in albedo in northwest Greenland". The Cryosphere. 14 (6): 2087–2101. Bibcode:2020TCry...14.2087O. doi:10.5194/tc-14-2087-2020. ISSN 1994-0416.
  6. ^ Ono, Masato; Takeuchi, Nozomu; Zawierucha, Krzysztof (2021-03-16). "Snow algae blooms are beneficial for microinvertebrates assemblages (Tardigrada and Rotifera) on seasonal snow patches in Japan". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 5973. Bibcode:2021NatSR..11.5973O. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85462-5. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 7971028. PMID 33727649.
  7. ^ Hotaling, Scott; Hood, Eran; Hamilton, Trinity L. (August 2017). "Microbial ecology of mountain glacier ecosystems: biodiversity, ecological connections and implications of a warming climate". Environmental Microbiology. 19 (8): 2935–2948. Bibcode:2017EnvMi..19.2935H. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.13766. ISSN 1462-2912. PMID 28419666.
  8. ^ Hoham, Ronald W.; Remias, Daniel (April 2020). "Snow and Glacial Algae: A Review 1". Journal of Phycology. 56 (2): 264–282. Bibcode:2020JPcgy..56..264H. doi:10.1111/jpy.12952. ISSN 0022-3646. PMC 7232433. PMID 31825096.