The microbial ecology in the brines of two Antarctic frozen lakes (Boulder Clay, Northern Victoria Land)

The perennial ice cover of Antarctic lakes sometimes encapsulate lenses of brines. In October-November 2014, a screening of several frozen lakes in the Northern Victoria Land through the ground probing radar investigation was made. Tewo lenses of liquid brines were found at different depths in two adjacent frozen Boulder Clay lakes and had a different salinity and pH. Brines were sampled under sterile conditions and analysed by microscopic image analysis to assess prokaryotic abundance, cell shape and respiring cells and by flow cytometry to determine virus abundance. The physiological profiles by Biolog ecoplate were determined as well as the potential ectoenzymatic activities rates (leucine aminopeptidase, beta-glucosidae and alkaline phosphatase).