Socio-environmental movements and the world of science have been warning for years about the catastrophic effects of climate change on the ecosystem and human life.
In this context, it is urgent to understand that everything on the planet is interrelated and that it is necessary to change the extractive production matrix to another economic model that contemplates a circular bioeconomy, minimizing the reduction of waste and being effectively sustainable.
Claudia Piccini, a researcher at the Clemente Estable Institute for Biological Research (IIBCE), Uruguay, will speak about “Glacier retreat and changes in prokaryotic diversity during the formation of an Antarctic lake” at the XXI Valparaíso Microbiology Colloquium, which will take place this Thursday, August 29 at 12:15 p.m. online.
Climate change
The researcher explains that “glacial retreat occurs when the amount of ice lost by a glacier is greater than the amount it gains. For example, in mountain glaciers this is evident because the line or front of the glacier is increasingly closer to the summit.
While this occurs naturally through processes such as melting, evaporation, ablation, and wind erosion, it has been accelerated by rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions, which we refer to as climate change. These rapidly melting ice masses are creating diverse freshwater and transitional ecosystems in vast areas that used to be terrestrial biomes, resulting in a shift in ecosystems worldwide.”
This retreat of glaciers found in marine ecosystems generates an increase in sea level.
“These changes are still not fully understood, which makes it impossible to draw firm conclusions about the effect of the loss of the ice sheet on ecosystem functioning, and the impact of the emergence of these new bodies of water on the climate is also unknown,” said Claudia Piccini.
Prokaryotic diversity
In addition, there is an element that is generally not discussed in public opinion: prokaryotic diversity, the most diverse organisms on the planet that date back to the origin of life, at least 3.8 billion years ago.
“Prokaryotic communities are essential components of ecosystems and are involved in biogeochemical processes such as recycling organic matter, which is essential in the organic/inorganic nutrient cycle, as well as in the transfer of energy to other trophic levels, and they also present varied responses to environmental changes. For this reason, it is suggested that the microbial world constitutes the life support system in the biosphere, and it is important to learn not only which processes generate prokaryotic diversity, but also which ones reduce it, as well as the environmental effects of both,” says Piccini.
Despite the great efforts made, knowing the exact dimension of prokaryotic diversity and the consequences of their extinctions constitutes a great challenge.
Metabolic potential
“There are some changes caused by human activity that reduce prokaryotic diversity in some ecosystems (for example, intensive agricultural activity reduces the richness and diversity of soil bacteria). On the other hand, the appearance of aquatic ecosystems due to the retreat of glaciers generates new spaces and habitats for prokaryotic species, which assemble according to environmental characteristics. Our objective as researchers of these ecosystems is to determine the metabolic and functional potential of the prokaryotic communities that are established in them, in order to contribute to the prediction of their impact, for example, on the capture and emission of gases and therefore on the climate.”
Claudia Piccini warns of the most drastic effects of the disappearance of glaciers, which is occurring at great speed in some areas. The most obvious are that millions of people are left without fresh water sources; the sea level is rising, causing flooding and changing landscapes. The alteration of the availability of water for irrigation, drinking and generating energy are undoubtedly serious threats to human societies. In addition, when the ice melts, microorganisms and chemical substances that remained inert in the ice for centuries are released.
This last effect is one of those that generates the most alarm in the scientific community.
“It has been reported that the retreat of glaciers in the Alps released various substances, such as the insecticide DDT, dioxins and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). When released into the environment, these very stable compounds are transported through the air over long distances, condensed and stored in the ice. The massive retreat of glaciers in the last 20 years releases more meltwater, including these stored chemicals. The presence of these compounds in lake water or in coastal sites constitutes a threat to environmental and human health that, in the case of DDT for example, whose use has been banned since the 1970s, we thought had been overcome,” explains the researcher.
This meeting at the XXI Colloquium on Microbiology in Valparaíso will be an opportunity to reflect on the multiple challenges posed by glacial retreat. Claudia Piccini emphasizes that better understanding prokaryotic communities will contribute not only to predicting the impact of the changes occurring at the level of the world’s large ice masses, but also to generating solutions to these problems based on microorganisms.
To participate in this initiative, you only need to access the connection link available at www.biogemchile.cl or write to [email protected].
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