A wide array of microorganisms, including many novel, phylogenetically deeply rooted taxa,
survive and thrive in extreme environments. These unique and reduced-complexity …

Next-generation sequencing approaches in microbiome research have allowed surveys of
microbial communities, their genomes, and their functions with higher sensitivity than ever …

Thwaites Glacier represents 15% of the ice discharge from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and
influences a wider catchment,–. Because it is grounded below sea level,, Thwaites Glacier is …

Subglacial lakes are repositories of ancient climate conditions, provide habitats for life and
modulate ice flow, basal hydrology, biogeochemical fluxes and geomorphic activity. In this …

The central insight of Darwin's Origin of Species is that evolution is an ecological
phenomenon, arising from the activities of organisms in the'struggle for life'. By contrast, the …

In this overview (introductory article to a special issue including 14 papers), we consider all
main types of natural and artificial inland freshwater habitas (fwh). For each type, we identify …

The Earth's cryosphere comprises those regions that are cold enough for water to turn into
ice. Recent findings show that the icy realms of polar oceans, glaciers and ice sheets are …

Glaciers and ice sheets, like other biomes, occupy a significant area of the planet and
harbour biological communities with distinct interactions and feedbacks with their physical …

The cycling of carbon on Earth exerts a fundamental influence upon the greenhouse gas
content of the atmosphere, and hence global climate over millennia. Until recently, ice …

Antarctic biodiversity is much more extensive, ecologically diverse and biogeographically
structured than previously thought. Understanding of how this diversity is distributed in …