Active geothermal systems are relatively rare in Antarctica and represent metaphorical islands ideal to study microbial dispersal. In this study, we tested the macro‐ecological concept that high dispersal rates result in communities being dominated by either habitat generalists or specialists by investigating the microbial communities on four geographically separated geothermal sites on three Antarctic volcanoes (Mts. Erebus,...

Water is an important component of many recreational opportunities and New Zealand invests significant resources in recreational water quality (RWQ) monitoring to assess risks to public health. However, monitoring primarily focuses on microbiological hazards and RWQ is considerably broader than this. The goal of this study was to take a comprehensive approach to evaluating RWQ while exploring the potential for greater public i...

Carbon incorporated into diatom frustule walls is protected from degradation enabling analysis for carbon isotope composition (δ 13 C diatom ). This presents potential for tracing carbon cycles via a single photosynthetic host with well‐constrained ecophysiology. Improved understanding of environmental processes controlling carbon delivery and assimilation is essential to interpret changes in freshwater δ 13 C diatom . Here re...

We identified 100 scientific questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on conservation practice and policy. Representatives from 21 international organizations, regional sections and working groups of the Society for Conservation Biology, and 12 academics, from all continents except Antarctica, compiled 2291 questions of relevance to conservation of biological diversity worldwide. The questions were gathered...

Summary We examined bacterial diversity of three geothermal soils in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes recovered directly from soils indicated that the bacterial communities differed in composition and richness, and were dominated by previously uncultured species of the phyla Actinobacteria , Acidobacteria , Chloroflexi , Proteobacteria and candidate division OP10. Aerobic, thermop...

Inheritance patterns of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) phenotypes were tested in 13 full‐sib families of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush . Single‐pair matings of parents with known phenotypes were made, and up to 20 progeny of each mating were used to test inheritance patterns. Seven RAPD primers amplified 13 polymorphic bands. With the exception of one family, expected segregation ratios for dominant Mendelian gene...