Environmental Characteristics and Plankton Diversity of Major Freshwater Lake (L7) at Bharti Island, Larsemann Hills over East Antarctica

Research Article

Austin Environ Sci. 2016; 1(2): 1007.

Environmental Characteristics and Plankton Diversity of Major Freshwater Lake (L7) at Bharti Island, Larsemann Hills over East Antarctica

Bharti PK* and Tyagi AK

R&D Division, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, India

*Corresponding author: Pawan Kumar Bharti, R&D Division, Antarctica Laboratory, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, 19, University Road, Delhi-110 007, India; E-mail: [email protected]

Received: June 10, 2016; Accepted: August 26, 2016; Published: August 29, 2016

Abstract

The Larsemann Hills range is an ice-free oasis on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, which includes Bharti Island, Fisher Island, McLeod Island, Broknes Peninsula, Stornes Peninsula, and several other islands, promontories, and nunataks. The Larsemann Hills is an ice-free area of approximately 50km2, located halfway between the Vestfold Hills and the Amery Ice Shelf on the south-eastern coast of Prydz Bay, Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica. The ice-free area consists of two major peninsulas (Stornes and Broknes), four minor peninsulas, and approximately 130 near shore islands. The Larsemann Hills area contains more than 150 freshwater lakes at different Islands and peninsulas.

Bharti Island of Larsemann Hills in east Antarctica was selected as a sampling site for the present study. Water sample was collected from a freshwater lake during XXXth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) and analysed for the physico-chemical parameters, major elements, trace metals & major plankton diversity in surface lake water by following standard methodology. The concentrations of metals Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cr were measured using (ICP-OES) Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Phytoplankton and zooplankton were also assessed in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake L7 at Bharti Island, Antarctica.

Keywords: Aquatic ecology; Water quality monitoring; Antarctic lake; Bharti Island; Water pollution

Introduction

Lakes are important feature of the Earth’s landscape which are not only the source of precious water, but provide valuable habitats to plants and animals, moderate hydrological cycles, influence microclimate, enhance the aesthetic beauty of the landscape and extend many recreational opportunities to humankind. The lakes are also used for drinking, irrigation, fishing, eco-tourism, etc. apart from the above advantages [1]. The different problems of the lake include excessive influx of sediments from the lake catchment, discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage and industrial waste waters, dumping of solid waste, entry of diffused nutrients source from agricultural and forestry, improper management of storm water, over abstraction, over-exploitation of lake for activities like recreation, fishing, encroachments, land reclamation etc causing lake water shrinkage, shoreline erosion and impacting the lake hydrology, deteriorating water quality, impacting biodiversity, bringing climate changes etc. There is, therefore, an immediate need to know the pollution status of a lake at given time so that necessary conservation activities may be undertaken to regain/improve the health of water body [2].

Lakes of Antarctica represent a relatively unique ecosystem in general; however, they remain less intensely studied than lowland lakes, mainly because of their remoteness and the short summer openwater period [3]. Nevertheless, Antarctic lakes are sensitive reference systems of global climatic change and other human impacts [4]. In fact, although remote high altitude lakes are in general protected from direct human impacts, in the last few decades they have been increasingly affected by airborne contaminants, such as acids and nutrients [5], organic pollutants and heavy metals [6].

These lake ecosystems have a relatively simple food web due to the extreme environmental conditions and react more rapidly and more sensitively to environmental changes than other lakes [7]. Even minor impacts are able to significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of soft water high altitude lakes, to induce changes in species composition and abundance of the biota and to cause accumulation of trace substances in higher trophic organisms [8]. In spite of the socio-economic and ecological importance of these lakes, better knowledge of several ecological aspects (especially regarding species distribution patterns and biogeography, diversity and functional interaction among the different components of the food web) is needed for better understanding of their relationships with the environmental variables. These lakes have received little attention so far in terms of their limnology, diversity, conservation and water management, but they are becoming increasingly important due to the possible consequences of the global climate change [9].

The Larsemann Hills area is an ice-free oasis on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica, which includes Bharti Island, Fisher Island, McLeod Island, Broknes Peninsula, Stornes Peninsula, and several other islands, promontories, and nunataks (Figure 1). The deglaciated terrain constitutes a transitional zone between marine and glacial ecosystems and includes gently rolling hills, glacially polished and striated bedrock hummocks (roches moutonnees), scoured surfaces, and broad valleys interspersed with lakes of varying dimensions. Indian scientific studies in the Larsemann Hills started in 2003 and the present work was carried out from 2010 to 2011 during the construction of the third Indian research station Bharti. To investigate the aquatic ecology, lake water chemistry and characteristics in the area water sample was collected from a lake on Bharti Island.