In June's Discover Magazine, science writer Elizabeth Preston explored the mysterious world of icy microbes, focussing on cryoconite. I was lucky enough to chat to Elizabeth several times and provide some photos for the article. Elizabeth described how cryoconite granules form when mineral particles and other debris are "ensnared... in the sticky arms of cyanobacteria" … Continue reading Discover Magazine: Ecosystem Engineers on ice
Tag: biocryomorphology
Video: What Lives on Ice and Snow?
Here's a link to Krzysztof Zawierucha's (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan) new film about the biology of ice and snow, including cryoconite holes, snow and ice surfaces. The film clearly shows why Earth's ice and snow represents a threatened store of biodiversity and illustrates some of the feedbacks between physical and biological processes operating in the cryosphere. See also Krzysztof's paper in … Continue reading Video: What Lives on Ice and Snow?
Biocryomorphology
In a recent publication in Frontiers in Earth Science, Arwyn Edwards, Alun Hubbard and I outlined a framework for developing a more holistic understanding of the cryosphere. We suggest that the complex reciprocal relationships between physical and biological processes on ice surfaces represent a crucial gap in our knowledge of glacial systems, and propose to … Continue reading Biocryomorphology
To The Poles 