Microbial eukaryotes are an evolutionary diverse group that gathers various eukaryotic organisms of often microscopic sizes, such as protist and fungi. Protists, comprise a large variety of protozoa and micro-algae, like Amoebozoa (amoebae and slime molds), Excavates (trypanosomes, amitochondriate parasites), Archaeplastids (green algae and plants, red algae), Stramenopiles (brown algae and kelps), Alveolates (ciliates, apicomplexa, […]

Compared to Bacteria and Eukaryotes, Archaean diversity, physiology and ecology is still very little explored. Many Archaea are extremophiles – living in extreme environments – thriving at high temperature and pressure, but also the cold, sub-zero environments characteristic for the Polar Regions. Specific Archaeal populations can thus be abundant in the Arctic. Depending on the

Bacteria are the major drivers of the Earths biogeochemical cycles, and therefore very important components of the ecosystems. There are estimations showing that more than 5 x 1030 bacteria are colonizing the Earth (Whitman et al. 1998) and concentrations of bacteria in Arctic soils can reach substantial numbers in key microhabitats (Yergeau et al. 2010).

What is a virus? Viruses are infectious agents that replicate exclusively within a living cell. Viruses can infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea. They consist of a viral particle that protects the viral genome from degradation in the extracellular environment and allows the infection of another cell. The

Since the turn of the previous century, when Arctic explorers began to return samples of microbes for culture and study, our understanding of the microbiology of these unique ecosystems has advanced a great deal. In particular, the advent of molecular techniques towards the end of the 20th century has significantly changed our understanding of microbial

The rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) is a circumpolar herbivorous bird characteristic of Alpine and Arctic tundra regions. In Svalbard the endemic Svalbard rock ptarmigan (L. m. hyperborea) is the only overwintering herbivorous bird (Løvenskiold 1964). The ptarmigan uses different habitats during the winter- and breeding season. In spring and summer shift in habitat selection coincides

The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is endemic to Svalbard and one of seven sub-species of wild reindeer that inhabit circumpolar arctic and alpine regions (Røed 2005). In Svalbard the reindeer is the largest herbivore and the only resident mammalian herbivorous species with exception of a local introduced population of sibling vole (Microtus levis) (Henttonen,

Geese molting All geese go through a simultaneous moult during summer. They loose their primaries and secondaries and are flightless for a month. Feathers grow with a speed of more than 7 mm per day. For barnacle geese with young, the moult starts around 17 days after hatching, when the goslings are able to maintain