Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Ship Time

More so than many marine regions, the Arctic is endangered by rapid warming due to global climate change threatening a unique environment and its genetic diversity. As a first step in cataloging this diversity, we have previously examined picoeukaryotic and archaea diversity from permanently cold arctic marine waters using SS rDNA clone libraries, this work is ongoing and will continue. We have now sampled over 20 sites across  the Canadian Arctic.  These communities examined to date are strikingly different among the sites, and between surface and the deep chlorophyll maximum layers The next important step is to link ecological and biological function with community structure and phylogenetic identity. We request ship time for 2006 to carry out stable isotope labeling experiments that will yield the first data on the identity of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes responsible for key ecosystem functions in situ. This research will provide the information required to begin understanding the sensitivities of processes in this unique endangered ecosystem.