H.Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George. Island, the ..... Greg. boreoalphina group. +. +. E. praerupta. Ehr. ++. Fragilaria arcus. (Ehr.) Cleve. +. +. F.
Polar Biol (1998) 19: 183±192
Ó Springer-Verlag 1998
ORIGINAL PAPER
Barbara Kawecka á Maria Olech Maria Nowogrodzka-ZagoÂrska á Bronisøaw WojtunÂ
Diatom communities in small water bodies at H. Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) Received: 17 May 1996 / Accepted: 20 September 1997
Abstract An investigation of ponds, puddles and slow¯owing waters situated in the area of the Polish Antarctic Station distinguished two groups of diatom communities. The ®rst group characterized waters poor in nutrients and brackish. The number of taxa, abundance of species and diatom biomass index were all low. Nitzschia homburgiensis, Achnanthes laevis var. quadratarea and A. delicatula prevailed. The second group characterized water richer in nutrients and brackish. The number of species was also low, but the diatom biomass index was higher. Nitzschia gracilis, Navicula gregaria and Navicula wiesneri formed large populations.
Introduction To date, few phycological studies have been conducted on the inland waters of King George Island (Kawecka and Olech 1993; Kawecka et al. 1996). The waters in the area of the Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station are aected by natural factors such as the sea and, to a lesser degree, animals (chie¯y birds and mammals), and they are also subject to anthropogenic pressures in the form
B. Kawecka (&) Karol Starmach Institute of Freshwater Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Søawkowska 17, 31±016 KrakoÂw, Poland Fax: 48 124 222 115 M. Olech Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Lubicz 46, 31±512 KrakoÂw, Poland M. Nowogrodzka-ZagoÂrska Department of Otolaryngology, Laboratory of Scanning Electron Microscopy, School of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 23 a, 31±501 KrakoÂw, Poland B. Wojtun Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Agricultural Academy, Cybulskiego 32, 50±205 Wrocøaw, Poland
of solid, volatile and ¯uid wastes (Krzyszowska 1990; Rakusa-Suszczewski 1993). A study was undertaken to characterize aquatic environments in the vicinity of the station using diatoms as indicators of the environmental character. Study area The investigation was carried out in the area of the H.Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island, the largest island in the southern Shetland Islands (Fig. 1). King George Island is situated in the Maritime Antarctic Zone. The island consists mainly of volcanic rocks and is 90% covered by ice. The Polish Antarctic Station is situated on the western sea coast of Admiralty Bay and contains an oasis free of ice patches. The air temperature shows great and sudden changes. The average annual air temperature is )1.8°C. In summer (December to March), the warmest month is January (average +2.3°C.), and in winter (June to September), the coldest months are July and August (average )7.1°C). During the year, there is considerable cloudiness. It is cloudier in summer than in winter. The precipitation is relatively high and reaches 510.4 mm/year (data from the years 1978±1987); Rakusa-Suszczewski et al. 1993). The strong winds, often of hurricane force, are characteristic for this region, as is the high amplitude of solar radiation (the day length ranges from 15 h in summer to 2 h in winter). Samples were taken from aquatic environments near station buildings (Fig. 2). The aquatic environments were ®ve small ponds (about 3 to 10 ´ 1 to 5 m; stations 1±3, 5±12) and seven puddles (stations 13±16, 18±20), formed in ruts made by amphibious vehicles used at the station. Also two small, slow-¯owing streams were sampled, one an out¯ow from pond I (station 4) and the other one ¯owing from the electric power plant (station 17).
184
The investigated ponds around the station represent shallow coastal water bodies situated behind a storm ridge. The water in the ponds originates from snow and
Fig. 1 Location of Arctowski Station
ice that usually melts in November. The ponds are also supplied by splashes of sea water and hence are periodically brackish. In winter, they freeze to the bottom. For 5±6 months the ponds remain free of ice. The bottoms of the ponds consist of muddy sediments covered with scarce ®lamentous green algae (5±10% of the surface area). The water temperature varied from 7.3 to 13.3°C. The chemical composition of waters collected in ponds I, II, III and IV is presented in Table 1. Waters from ponds I and III are characterized by the highest K, Ca, Mg, Na and orthophosphate concentrations, and can be considered well mineralized. These elevated element concentrations are also re¯ected by the highest conductivity values. The main feature of water from pond II is the high concentration of biogens, i.e. orthophosphate and ammonium. The most natural conditions exist in pond IV, where element concentrations and conductivity values in the water are generally much lower in comparison with the other ponds. This water can be considered fresh. At all ponds, Na is the dominant cation and although not analysed, Cl) is probably the most abundant anion. This assumption is con®rmed
Fig. 2 Location of sampling stations; circles without black edges indicate group I diatom communities; black-edged circles indicate group II diatom communities
Table 1 Chemical composition of pond waters in the vicinity of Arctowski station, King George Island. Location of ponds is shown in Fig. 2 Pond
pH Conductivity lS N±NH4 lg/1 N±NO3 lg/1 N±NO2 lg/1 P±PO4 lg/1 K mg/1 Na mg/1 Ca mg/1 Mg mg/1
I
II
III
IV
8.7 2600.0 0.0 2.2 0.0 135.1 17.2 280.8 19.4 37.1
9.7 410.0 25.2 6.6 4.0 101.3 2.6 55.9 3.2 1.7
8.6 2800.0 0.0 2.2 0.0 6.5 25.8 424.7 31.4 58.9
8.1 145.0 20.2 6.6 4.1 11.0 0.6 20.3 3.8 2.0
185
by analyses from other sub-Antarctic areas indicating that Na and Cl) are the dominant ions in coastal ponds (Smith 1985).
Materials and methods Samples were collected by M. Olech during the XI and XVI Antarctic Expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences, conducted during two summer seasons (1987/1988 and 1992/1993 respectively). For chemical analyses, water samples from ponds I±IV were taken in January, 1988. Conductivity, pH and forms of inorganic nitrogen and orthophosphates analyses were carried out in the laboratory on the day of sampling. Conductivity data were standarized to 25°C. and results are given without a correction for H+ concentration. Samples were analysed colorimetrically, for NH4±N using the Nessler reagent, for NO2±N using the cadmium± copper reduction method followed by the sulphanilamide reaction, and for PO4±P using the molybdenum blue method (Chapman 1976; Golterman et al. 1978). The concentrations of Ca, Mg, K and Na were measured on an inducively coupled argon plasma spectrophotometer. The algae were removed from a few stones and bottom sediment and then preserved in a 4% solution of formalin. The laboratory work and quantitative evaluation were carried out according to estimation methods given by Starmach (1969) (see also Kawecka 1980). The material was macerated in a mixture of sulphuric acid and potassium dichromate in a 3:1 ratio. It was then washed with distilled water, cleaned by sedimentation and centrifuged at 3000 rpm. The slides were made using ``Pleurax'', a synthetic resin. The structure of diatom communities was characterized by: (1) the number of taxa; (2) the relative abundance, which was determined by counting cells of each species in ten microscope ®elds con®ned within the perimeter of an ocular micrometric grid. The most numerous species (abundance over 5%) were identi®ed while the remaining ones were determined as sporadic; (3) An index of diatom biomass was used to compare diatom communities at particular sampling stations. This index was calculated as follows: (a) the size of cells was expressed as fractions or multiples of the micrometric grid squares; (b) the coecient of coverage was calculated by multiplying the numbers of specimens by the average size of cell; (c) ®nally, the index of diatom biomass was obtained by summing the coecient of coverage of all the species in the sample, and multiplying this value by 2, in order to obtain the conventionally accepted assimilation area of the organisms. Diatoms were identi®ed and nomenclature assigned according to Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1986±1991) and Round et al. (1990). Scanning electron microscopy (JEOL JSM 35 CF) was used for taking photographs.
Results
have more striae compared with Krammer and LangeBertalot's (1991) description: 7±20 ´ 4±8 lm; striae about 15/10 lm); however, they correspond with observations of Lange-Bertalot and Ruppel (1980): 9± 25 ´ 4±10 lm; striae 10±16/10 lm. Achnanthes laevis Oestrup var. quadratarea (Oestrup) Lange-Bertalot (Fig. 3c,d) 11±18 ´ 5.5±8.5 lm, striae: raphe valve 21±28/lm, rapheless valve 21±26/lm. Fragilaria cf. oldenburgiana Hust. (Fig. 3e,f) 11±15.4 ´ 2.7±3.8 lm, striae: 12±16/10 lm. According to Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1991) F. oldenburgiana has only about 13 striae in 10 lm. Gomphonema parvulum (KuÈtz.) KuÈtz. (Fig. 3g,h) 26.4±31.9 ´ 5.5±6.9 lm., striae 13±16/10 lm. Luticola muticopsis (Van Heurck) D.G. Mann (Fig. 3k±m) 8.8±28.6 ´ 6.1±11.6, striae 13±22 /10 lm, points 15±20 / 10 lm. This species shows visible morphological variability of the cells (see also Kawecka et al. 1996). Some of the cells dier from the diagnosis of the species by Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1986); 10±25 ´ 6±10 lm, striae 15±18/10 lm, points 15±20/10 lm. Navicula wiesneri Lange-Bertalot (Fig. 4a) 15.2±28.6 ´ 4.4±5.6 lm, striae 12±15/10 lm, points about 40/10 lm. Some cells had more striae than was reported by Krammer and Lange -Bertalot (1986): 11.5± 14/10 lm. Navicula atomus (KuÈtz.) Grun. (Fig. 3i) 6.6±15.4 ´ 3.3±5.6 lm, striae 16±24/10 lm. Navicula gregaria Donkin (Fig. 3j)
Preliminary data show the occurrence of 78 taxa of diatoms (Table 2). A number of them are not identi®ed to species, and further taxonomical studies are necessary.
20.9±26 ´ 5.5±6.3 lm, striae 16±20/10 lm, lineolae 35/10 lm.
Taxonomical notes of the most numerous species
Nitzschia gracilis Hantzsch. (Fig. 4b,c)
Achnanthes delicatula (KuÈtz.) Grun. ssp. delicatula (Fig. 3a,b)
26.8±40.3 ´ 2.3±2.7 lm, ®bulae 16±18/10 lm, striae 47± 53/10 lm. Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1988) give striae 38± 42 in 10 lm; however, it is supposed to be more ± above 50.
19.8±21.2 ´ 7.8±8.6 lm, striae: raphe valve 15/10 lm, rapheless valve 15±16/10 lm. Some cells are bigger and
Aulacoseira alphigena (Grunow) Krammer Achnanthes delicatula (KuÈtz.) Grun. A. helvetica (Hust.) Lange-Bertalot A. laevis Oestrup v. laevis A. laevis v. quadratarea (Oeastrup) Lange±Bertalot A. lanceolata (BreÂb.) Grun. v. lanceolata A. minutissima KuÈtz. v. minutissima A. germainii Manguin A. cf. brevipes v. intermedia A. cf. metakryophila Amphora sp. Cocconeis placentula v. euglypta Ehr. Coscinodiscus sp. Cyclotella radiosa (Grun.) Lemmermann Cyclotella sp. C. sinuata Gregory Diadesmis contenta (Grun. ex V.H.) D.G. Mann Diatoma ehrenbergii KuÈtz D. mesodon (Ehr.) KuÈtz. Encynonema minutm (Hilse in Rabh.) D.G. Mann Eunotia incisa Greg. boreoalphina group E. praerupta Ehr. Fragilaria arcus (Ehr.) Cleve F. capucina Desmazieres F. capucina v. rumpens (KuÈtz.) Lange-Bertalot F. capucina v. vaucheriae (KuÈtz.) Lange-Bertalot F. pinnata Ehr. F. ulna (Nitzsch) Lange-Bertalot F. cf. oldenburgiana Fragilaria bands Fragilaria sp Gomphonema angustatum (KuÈtz.) Rabh. G. angustum Agardh G. parvulum (KuÈtz.) KuÈtz.
Station Taxa
Sampling date
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
01 93 13
+
+
01 92 14
Puddles
Environment
+
+
01 92 15
+
12 92 16
+
+
+
+
12 92 18
+
+
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ + +
+
01 92 20
+
12 92 19
+
+
01 88 17
+ + + + + +
+
+
+ +
+ +
+
+ +
+
02 92 4
Small streams
+
+
+
+
+
+ + +
+
+ + +
11 87 1
I
Ponds
+ +
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+ + +
+
+
+
01 92 3
+
+
+
01 92 2
Table 2 List of diatom taxa in small water bodies in the vicinity of the Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island
+
+
+
+
+
01 87 5
II
+
+
+
01 88 6 +
05 88 7
+
+
+
01 92 8
+
+
+
01 92 9
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
01 92 10
III
+ +
+
+
+
+
+
01 92 11
IV
+
+
+
01 92 12
V
186
Gomphonema sp. Hantzchia amphioxys Luticola cohnii (Hilse) D.G. Mann L. mutica (KuÈtz.) D.G. Mann L. muticopsis (Van Heurck) D.G. Mann L. nivalis (Ehr.) D.G. Mann Melosira sp. Meridion circulare (Greville) Ag. Navicula atomus (KuÈtz.) Grun. N. capitata v. hungarica (Grun.) Ross N. cf. elginensis (Gregory) Ralfs N. gallica (W. Smith) Lagerstedt N. gregaria Cholnoky N. halophila (Grun.) Cleve N. levanderii Hust. N. suecorum Carlson N. tabellariaeformis Krasske N. wiesneri Lange-Bertalot Nitzschia dissipata (KuÈtz.) Grun. N. frustulum (KuÈtz.) Grun. N. gracilis Hantzsch N. homburgiensis Lange-Bertalot Nitzchia sp. Nitzschia. sp.1 Opephora olsenii Moeller Pinularia borealis Ehr. P. borealis v. rectangularis Carlson P. gibba Ehr. P. globiceps Ehr. P. lundii Hustedt P. microstauron (Ehr.) Cleve P. microstauron v. brebissonii (KuÈtz.) Mayer P. subcapitata Gregory P. obscura Krasska Pinnularia sp.1 Pinnularia sp.2 Pinnularia spp. Stauroneis anceps Ehr. Stephanodiscus sp. Surirella angusta KuÈtz. S. brebissonii v. kuetzingii Krammer & Lange-Bertalot S. ovalis BreÂb. Tabellaria ¯occulosa (Roth) KuÈtz. Thalassiosira sp. + +
+
+
+
+ +
+ +
+
+
+ +
+
+ + + + + +
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ + +
15
+ + +
14
+ + +
13
+
+
+ +
+
+
+ +
16
+
+
+ +
+
+ + +
+
+ + +
+
+
18
+ + + +
+
+ + + + +
+ + + + +
+ + + + +
+ +
+ + + + +
+
+
+
+ +
+ + + + + +
4
+
+ +
+ +
+
+
17
+ + + +
+ +
+
+
+ + + + +
20
+
+ + + +
+
+ +
+ +
+
+
19
+
+ + + + +
+ + +
+
+
+
+ +
+
+ +
+
1
+
+ + +
+
+
+
+ + + + +
+ + +
+
+ +
+ +
+
2
+
+ +
+
+
+ + + + +
+
+
+
+ +
+
3
+
+ +
+ +
+ +
+
+
+ +
+ + + +
5
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
6
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
7
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+ +
+
8
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
9
+
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
10
+ + + + + +
+
+
+ +
+ +
+ +
+
+ + + + +
11
+ +
+
+
+ +
+
+
+
+
+ +
+
12
187
188 Fig. 3 SEM photographs: a,b Achnanthes delicatula; c,d A. laevis var. quadratarea; e,f Fragilaria cf. oldenburgiana; g,h Gomphonema parvulum; i Navicula atomus; j Navicula gregaria; k±m Luticola muticopsis. Scale bars 5 mm: a±g, i±m. Scale bars 10 lm
Nitzschia homburgiensis Lange-Bertalot (Fig. 4d)
Nitzschia sp. (Fig. 4e)
28.8±32.6 ´ 4.4±5.2 lm, ®bulae 14±15/10 lm, striae 36± 37/10 lm. Most of the cells are smaller compared with description of the species (Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1988); the length of the cells is 32±52 lm.
11.5±16 ´ 3.2±3.8 lm, two rows of points in one stria, 19±21/10 lm. The cells slightly resemble Fragilariopsis pseudonana Hasle (Hasle 1965: 4±20 ´ 3.5±5 lm., 18±22/ 10 lm). However the ends of Nitzschia sp. are more elongated than is given in the diagnosis by Hasle.
189
Fig. 4 SEM photographs: a Navicula wiesneri; b,c Nitzschia gracilis; d Nitzschia homburgiensis; e Nitzschia sp.; f Pinnularia borealis; g±i P. microstauron; j P. obscura; k P. subcapitata; l Pinnularia sp1; m Pinnularia sp2. Scale bars 5 mm: a,c,e,j,l; Scale bars 10 mm: b,d,f±i,k,m
Pinnularia borealis Ehr. (Fig. 4f) 23.7±56.7 ´ 7.7±18.9 lm, 5±6/10 lm Pinnularia microstauron (Ehr.) Cleve (Fig. 4g±i) 29.7±49.5 ´ 7±12, striae 12±16/10 lm. The central ®elds are variable in shape and size. In the population, one can also ®nd cells slightly broader, and with thicker striae in 10 mm, compared with the description of Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1988); the width of the cells is 7±11 lm, striae 10±13/10 lm.
Pinnularia obscura Krasske (Fig. 4j) 23.1±34.1 ´ 5.5±6.0 lm, 9±12/10 lm. Some of the observed cells had less striae in 10 lm than indicated the diagnosis of Krammer and Lange-Bertalot (1986), 11± 15/10 lm) Pinnularia subcapitata Greg.(Fig. 4k) 22±42 ´ 5.5±7.3 lm, striae 13±14/10 lm. Pinnularia sp1 (Fig. 4l) 12.1±25 ´ 4.4±6.25 lm, striae 19±21/10 lm. The cells are slightly similar to Pinnularia krookii (Grun.) Cl.;syn. P. ignobilis (Krasske) Cleve-Euler; 14±32 ´ 4±7 lm, 18±22(24)/10 lm (Krammer 1992). In P. krookii the central ®eld can be very big and often unsymmetrical, reaching almost to the outer edge of the cell; however, in the Pinnularia sp1 the central ®eld de®nitely reaches the margin of the valve.
190
Pinnularia sp2 (Fig. 4m) 33±40 ´ 9.9±12.5 lm, striae 12±14/10 lm The cells resemble Navicula austroshetlandica Carlson (38±39 ´ 11.5, 13±14/10 lm.); Carlson (1913) The structure of diatom communities In the investigated waters, two groups of diatom communities were dierentiated on the basis of their structure of dominance (Fig. 5). Group I includes diatom communities that developed in puddles (stations 14±16, 18±20), in some area of pond I and its out¯ow (stations 1 and 4), in some area of pond II (station 9), and in pond IV (station 11). The diatom communities were poorly developed: the number of species was low, and the greatest variation of species was noted in pond I, especially in its out¯ow. Small populations of organisms and a low index of diatom biomass were usually encountered. The most frequent organisms were Nitzschia homburgensis, Achnanthes delicatula, Achnanthes laevis var. quadratarea, Luticola muticopsis, Nitzschia gracilis, Pinnularia spp. and Fragilaria cf. oldenburgiana. Group II includes diatom communities developing in some areas of pond I (stations 2 and 3), in some areas of pond II (stations 5±8), in pond III (station 10), in pond V (station 12), in a large puddle situated close to the storehouse (station 13), and in a small stream ¯owing out from the power plant (station 17). Fig. 5 Diatom communities in small water bodies in the vicinity of the Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. The most numerous species (>5%) and their abundance; A scale of abundance (number of cells in 10 microscopic ®elds); B the second group of diatom communities, the remaining belong to the ®rst group of diatom communities
The number of species was also low. In all stations Nitzschia gracilis was most abundant. Their mass development was noted in the small streams ¯owing out from the power plant where Navicula gregaria and Navicula wiesneri also occurred in great abundance. The mean index of diatom biomass was much greater than that for group I, and the highest value was noted in the stream ¯owing out from the power plant.
Discussion Waters in the area of Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station are characterized by very speci®c environmental conditions. These conditions are due to complex factors associated with the climate, the ephemeral nature of the waters, and also with the proximity of the sea, which in¯uences the periodical brackishness of the water. The presence of animals and people contribute to the eutrophication of the aquatic environment. The waters located in the area of the station, were characterized on the basis of diatom communities, which are commonly regarded as good indicators of environmental conditions (see Kawecka and Eloranta 1994). Two groups of diatom communities, which corresponded with two kinds of water, were distinguished. The ®rst group of diatom communities indicated that the water was poor in nutrients and had a tendency towards salinity (Fig. 3). The diatom communities were characterized by a low number of taxa, comparable with the poorest diatom communities which have been found
191
in glacial streams in the Alps, Greenland and Swedish Lapland (Kawecka 1980; Kawecka and Leo 1985). The communities usually formed small populations. Among the most numerous were species of oligotrophic waters, such as Nitzschia homburgensis, a nord-alpine form, and Achnanthes laevis var. quadratarea, an indicator organism for waters of purity I/I±II (Krammer and LangeBertalot 1986±1991). Also included in this community were cosmopolitan species from the Fragilaria and Pinnularia genera. The most numerous were P. microstauron and P. subcapitata, often in water with small amounts of electrolytes, and Pinnularia obscura, an aerophile that occurs in the north alpine region of Europe (Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1986). A fairly abundant population was formed by Achnanthes delicatula, which occurs in fresh and also in brackish waters (Lange-Bertalot and Ruppel 1980; Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1991). This demonstrates the impact of the sea on the development of diatom communities. In the puddle behind the power plant (station 15), Luticola muticopsis was the only numerous species. This is an interesting species characteristic for polar and subpolar regions, occurring fairly frequently in various water environments (Kawecka et al. 1996). In general, the index of diatom biomass in most of these waters was low, comparable with natural waters of glacial streams that are very low in nutrients and with the index of diatom biomass in the upper sectors of high mountain streams in Europe ¯owing out of lakes (Kawecka 1980). The second group of diatom communities indicated that the water was richer in nutrients and also had a tendency towards salinity (Fig. 5). The second group is characterized also by a low number of species, but in most of these waters a few cosmopolitan organisms totally dominate, which suggests disturbances in the very sensitive water environment of Antarctica. This group of species includes Nitzschia gracilis, which appears in all waters investigated. Nitzschia gracilis prefers waters from oligo- to mesosaprobic, and those rich in electrolyte content (Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1988). In the waters investigated, a large population of Nitzschia gracilis indicated the trophy level increased. By analogy, a large population of Encyonema minutum (syn. Cymbella ventricosa) found in the alpine glacial stream Gurgler Ache (Austria), below the tourist centre, showed the fertilization of this environment (Kawecka 1974, 1980). Navicula gregaria and Navicula wiesneri also belong to the cosmopolitan species. Navicula gregaria is pollution and saline tolerant (Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1986), and Navicula wiesneri appears abundantly in fresh and saline waters (Lange-Bertalot 1993). An abundant development of diatoms brought about a very pronounced increase in the index of diatom biomass. The highest value was obtained in the small stream ¯owing from the power plant and was comparable with the value noted in the Tatra mountain waters, loaded with domestic wastes (Kawecka 1993).
In conclusion, diatom ¯ora indicated that many of the water bodies of the Polish Antarctic Station showed a tendency towards salinity and eutrophication, especially the small stream ¯owing from the power plant (station 17). These biological results correspond with the data of Krzyszowska (1990) who showed that the accumulation of domestic sewage in the vicinity of the power plant, the biological laboratory, and the main building caused the increased phosphorus level in the neighbouring waters. However, these results revealed that pond III, pond V and puddle (station 13) are also enriched in nutrient (Figs. 2, 5). The biological results also correspond with the water chemistry (Table 1, Figs. 2, 5). For example, diatom communities found in pond IV belong to the ®rst group, which indicates that the water is poor in nutrients and elements. This is also re¯ected in the low concentration of most ions in the water. Diatom communities developed in some areas of ponds I, II and III belong to the second group, which indicates water richer in nutrients and elements. Once again, this is also re¯ected in the high concentration of elements (ponds I and III) and biogens (ponds I and II). Further studies relating abundance of diatoms to environmental factors, with particular regard to chemical parameters of the waters, are necessary, which would enable selection of indicator species or communities. These indicators could then be applied to monitoring changes in the aquatic environment of King George Island, which is of major importance for the adequate management and protection of freshwater biota. Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to Professor A. MiodonÂski, Leader of the Laboratory of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Jagiellonian University, KrakoÂw, for providing facilities to perform the investigations, and to Dr. K. Woøowski, Head of the Department of Phycology of the W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences in KrakoÂw, for allowing us to use the Iconotheca of Algae. We are very grateful to Professor H. Lange-Bertalot from the J.W. Goethe University of Frankfurt on Main for helping us to identify several species of diatoms.
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