Comprehensive Antarctic microbial surveys

Project Agenda:

1. determine initial list of candidate team participants including PI and youth members

2. determine scope and overall objectives

3. prepare candidate presentation

4. connect with candidates

5. determine appropriate hosting university/universities (group effort)

6. determine appropriate list of project donors (group effort)

7. prepare a comprehensive 'NSF style' research proposal including timeline budget (group effort)

8. make face-to-face presentations to potential donors (group effort)

9. garner appropriate donor support (group effort)

10. initiate project timeline (group effort)

11. perform field research and analysis (selected team members)

12. complete field research

13. prepare report and recommendations for further research (group effort)

Brief outline and motivations:

Every biologist 'worth his/her salts' knows two facts: the microbial level of an ecosystem sustains 'higher level' organisms much like the base of a pyramid supports the rest – and – Antarctic ecologies are indicators of the general health of Earth. To this author's knowledge, comprehensive microbial surveys of Antarctic ecologies are not being performed today. This project is unique in the sense of scope and objectives and requires commensurate support / allocation of resources. The purpose of this initial proposal is to garner participation from team candidates.

The author envisions a field research strategy as follows: we narrow our initial surveys to two very specific domains: the so-called dry valleys of Antarctica; these are accessible and not dangerous for human personnel – and – total perimeter Antarctic Ocean surface sampling (grid points to be determined) and minimally, one at-depth sample (for example, 10 meters or 100 meters). Again, these are microbial surveys and so physically, sampling becomes a matter of accurate logistics with the understanding these are time-sensitive endeavors. Ideally, sampling of arid regions on land will coincide with aqueous surveys. Lab analysis could be automated fairly inexpensively but it is warned not to sacrifice accuracy for ease of implementation. It is suggested we sample both airborne spores and topsoil. Comprehensive microbial time-line population studies are the objective, the seasonal variation of these. So one full year of sampling is required. It is recommended we repeat this three years later to understand any trends. For example, if CO2 emissions from China/elsewhere are encouraging destructive mono-culture domination of Antarctic ecologies, we need to know about it asap.

The author concludes this brief presentation with a sense of urgency. Any time human endeavor, whether directly or indirectly, causes a mono-culture to preside over large domains, catastrophic ecosystem-wide failure increases in likelihood alarmingly toward unity. In the first place, it's unnatural to force/encourage a mono-culture to persist. Secondly, that mono-culture and associated parasites tend to dominate and extinguish other more benign/symbiotic organisms. A good example are algal blooms. Whole fish populations can be wiped out in a 'single blow'. We encourage these events with unrestricted CO2 emissions etc. We need to perform these comprehensive Antarctic surveys now. Join me and a select team of caring scientists and students – for the future of Earth.

Salvatore Gerard Micheal, micheals(at)msu.edu