Chilean Antarctic Science Program and Related Activities

Home , Branchinecta gaini, Ellsworth Mountains, Seal Glacier, Union Glacier, University of Magallanes

Ilaia. Advances in Chilean Antarctic 4 EDITORIAL Science is an official publication of INACH. Its goals include ADVANCES IN CHILEAN dissemination of information on ANTARCTIC SCIENCE the Chilean Antarctic Science Program and related activities. ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF THE MARINE FAUNA OF Ilaia has a circulation of 1,000 7 THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. copies, distributed free of charge to regional and national authorities, WHEN DID ANTARCTIC AND SUB-ANTARCTIC MARINE 9 FAUNA BECOME SEPARATED? international Antarctic institutions, Chilean and foreign libraries, 12 FIRST INVENTORY OF universities, and researchers. Ilaia is HYDROZOANS IN FILDES BAY. an annual publication. The opinions

FRAGILE LIFE ON THE expressed here are those of the 16 ANTARCTIC SEA FLOOR. authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of INACH. Total JUNCUS BUFONIUS, A NEW “IMMIGRANT” TO or partial reproduction is allowed 18 MARITIME ANTARCTICA. with mention of the source. LIFE IN THE ANTARCTIC SOIL - AND THE THREAT FROM 20 PENGUINS.

THERMAL STRESS IN ANTARCTIC MARINE ORGANISMS: CAN 23 THEY DEAL WITH INCREASED WATER T EMPERATURES?

LIPOPHILIC ANTIOXIDANTS IN ANTARCTIC 26 LICHENS AND MOSSES.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE 28 CHILEAN FOREST.

GLACIOLOGICAL STUDIES AT THE UNION GLACIER AND A 31 NEW ROUTE TO THE SUBGLACIAL LAKE ELLSWORTH. ANTARCTIC HISTORY

INACH: BOOSTING CHILEAN ANTARCTIC 35 SCIENCE FOR 50 YEARS.

TRACES OF ANTARCTICA. THE ANTARCTIC CIRCUIT AROUND DIRECTOR 38 PUNTA ARENAS AND THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN: A NEW TOURISM AND NATIONAL HERITAGE GUIDEBOOK FROM INACH. José Retamales EDITOR INTERVIEWS Reiner Canales (E-mail: [email protected]) DR. JERÓNIMO LÓPEZ, SCAR PRESIDENT. 42 EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE 43 DR. HEINZ MILLER, COMNAP CHAIR. Marcelo Leppe, Elías Barticevic, 44 DR. JOSÉ RETAMALES, INACH DIRECTOR. Javier Arata TRANSLATION CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE Robert Runyard PROGRAM DESIGN

CHILEAN ANTARCTIC Pablo Ruiz 46 SCIENCE – OVERVIEW. PRODUCTION Javiera Ratto and Miguel Mansilla LINE I. THE STATE OF 48 THE ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEM. Printed by La Prensa Austral, LINE II. ANTARCTIC THRESHOLDS: 50 ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION. Punta Arenas – Chile.

LINE III. ANTARCTIC 52 CLIMATE CHANGE. Instituto Antártico Chileno – INACH Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1055 Punta Arenas, LINE IV. EARTH SCIENCES AND 54 ASTRONOMY. Chile Phone: (56-61) 2298 100 LINE V. ANTARCTIC MICROBIOLOGY Fax: (56-61) 2298 149 56 AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. E-mail: [email protected] LINE VI. ANTARCTIC 58 ENVIRONMENT. Reg. Prop. Int. nº 244.246 YELCHO AND KARPUJ: NEW HORIZONS 59 FOR POLAR SCIENCE. Image of the Chilean Antarctic station on the Union Glacier (79º 46’ S, 82º 54’ W). This aerial shot was prepared by Paola Vezzani (Chile) and Pol Taylor (Scotland), and was taken by a small remote-control aircraft. It shows a spontaneous performance in which all the people from the base participated to form the Yamana word “Ilaia”. Editorial

We have the great pleasure of presenting a new medium to communicate the progress being made, day by day, by our scientists on the White Continent.

This is first journal of its kind in English by the Chilean Antarctic Institute. With this endeavor, we are moving from one “linguistic ocean” to another. Spanish is spoken by about 548 million people, and after Mandarin Chinese, Spanish is the second most widely spoken first-language in the world, with a lexicon of nearly 93,000 words. Meanwhile, English is spoken by over 500 million people and it is a fact that in contemporary society, English is the lingua franca of science and the everyday communication that goes with it. For that reason, we decided to create a magazine that has substantial content in this language, and not merely short summaries of articles. This scientific information is accompanied by the chronicles of polar history and interviews with personalities from the international Antarctic community. Finally, we are including details surrounding the Chilean Antarctic Science Program, recently updated, with its lines of research and ongoing projects.

The aim of this publication is to make known the status and achievements of Chilean Antarctic research for scientists and agencies in other countries, and in this way stimulate possible joint projects between researchers or even between institutions, to permit more rapid and efficient progress in the adventureous quest for polar knowledge.

A new magazine deserves an original name and we think that the Yamana word "Ilaia" expresses very well the eagerness that Chile feels for its Antarctic endeavors. Ilaia means "beyond the South." The indigenous Yamana, or Yahgan, were a nomadic canoe people who for thousands of years traveled among the islands and channels that make up the southern portion of Tierra del Fuego. That was until contact with the "white man" and the disease that ravaged the Yamanas and brought these people to the edge of extinction. But here, now, we can rescue one of their words, one of the thousands that astounded the English missionary Thomas Bridges, to whom credit must be given for his part in documenting their extremely rich language. At some point in the development of their culture, the Yamana must have felt the need to give expression to that which was beyond the southern limits of their known universe. Perhaps through intuition or through experience, they thought of "Ilaia".

Now then, with the helping hand of science, we invite you to travel south of the south.

DR. JOSÉ RETAMALES ESPINOZA Director Chilean Antarctic Institute

4 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science C.CVITANIC Ad in antarctic science CHILEAN vanc e s ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE D.SCHORIES

6 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Origins and evolution of the marine fauna of the Southern Ocean

Origins and evolution of the marine fauna of the Southern Ocean

Dr. Elie Poulin Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, University of Chile [email protected]

The continent of Antarctica, often described as a frozen desert, life-history traits allowed these species to survive the extreme is surrounded by an ocean that supports a rich and diversified cold and then to diversify by means of high speciation rates. The marine fauna. The last census of marine life reports more than high proportion of invertebrate species that incubate and protect 8500 species in the Southern Ocean, featuring the highest levels of their offspring in the Southern Ocean reflect this phenomena of endemism known in today's oceans. resilience and later evolutionary success at the clade level. The characteristics of Antarctic marine fauna are related to During the past two million years the Southern Ocean has been the tectonic and oceanographic processes that characterized this directly impacted by successive glacial- and inter-glacial periods. region. Following the fragmentation of the super-continent of Owing to their magnitude and length, it is believed that their Gondwana that began at the start of the Cretaceous, Antarctica was glacial periods dramatically affected the shallow water marine permanently isolated from the other continents by the opening ecosystems, and that the species inhabiting the continental shelf of Drake's Passage, which separated the Antarctic Peninsula and sought refuge in peri-Antarctic islands or in deeper waters. South America about 20 million years ago. During the past two decades, the spread of new molecular These tectonic movements are also related to the progressive technologies in ecology and evolution have allowed new onset of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which represents the approaches to understand the origin and diversification main oceanographic boundary for the Antarctic biogeographic of Antarctic fauna. In this context, the phylogenetic and zone. At the same time the Antarctic continent and the Southern phylogeographic studies of marine invertebrates and fishes have Ocean experienced a sustained cooling that intensified during the allowed us to re-evaluate the tempo and mode of the separation Pliocene (5 million years ago) and the Pleistocene (2.5 million between the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic marine fauna, bringing years ago). about a better understanding of these life forms. While almost the entirety of the terrestrial fauna disappeared In addition, the development of hypervariable markers during this period, the marine fauna suffered significant changes allows us to depict the connectivity pattern among different in both structure and biodiversity. The cartilaginous fish and biogeographic provinces of the Southern Ocean, as well as evaluate decapods completely disappeared and other bony fish and the population genetic consequences of particular life history echinoderms went through severe extinctions, generally followed traits, such as the direct development and the absence of larval by periods of rapid diversification. dispersion in marine invertebrates. The great majority of modern Antarctic fish belong to the family Finally, the continuing advance in genomics and transcriptomics Nototheniidae, all of them coming from a lineage that was able is opening new perspectives for insights into adaptive mechanisms to survive thanks to the acquisition of anti-freezing proteins. that have been associated with the isolation and diversification of In another case, such as the sea urchins, certain attributes or the Antarctic marine fauna.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 7 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

South Shetland Islands: a bridgehead population before the spread to the RESEARCH TEAM northern Antarctic Peninsula?" Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 85: 457-468.

Principal researcher: Dr. Elie Poulin (University of Chile). González-Wevar C.A., Hüne M., Cañete J.I., Mansilla A., Nakano T. & E. Poulin. 2012. "Towards a model of postglacial biogeography in shallow marine species Associate researchers: along the Patagonian Province: lessons from the limpet Nacella magellanica Dr. Claudio González-Wevar and Mathias Hüne (Institute of Ecology and (Gmelin, 1791)." BMC Evolutionary Biology 12:139 Biodiversity, IEB), Dr. Angie Díaz (University of Magallanes), Dr. Leyla Cárdenas (Austral University of Chile), Iván Cañete and Dr. Andrés Mansilla (University of González Wevar C.A., Nakano T., Cañete J.I. & E. Poulin. 2011. "Concerted Magallanes), Dr. Juliana Viana (P. Catholic University of Chile). genetic, morphological and ecological diversification in Nacella limpets in the Magellanic Province." Molecular Ecology 20(9):19361951. International partners: Dr. Steven Chown (Monash University, Australia); Dr. Jean-Pierre Féral and Dr. Díaz, A., Féral, J.-P., David B., Saucède T& E. Poulin. 2011. "Evolutionary Anne Chenuil (Mediterranean University, Endoume Marine Station, Marseille, pathways among shallow and deep sea echinoids of the genus Sterechinus in France), Dr. Thomas Saucède and Dr. Bruno David (University of Burgundy, the Southern Ocean." Deep Sea Research II. 58: 205-211 Dijon, France), Tomoyuki Nakano (Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyoto University, Japan); Néstor Coria (Argentine Antarctic Institute); Martin Riddle González-Wevar C.A., B. David & E. Poulin. 2011. "Phylogeography and (Australian Antarctic Division); Hamish Spencer (Allan Wilson Centre for demographic inference in Nacella (Patinigera) concinna (Strebel, 1908) in the Molecular Ecology and Evolution, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand); western Antarctic Peninsula." Deep Sea Research II 58: 220-229. Doi:10.1016/j. Simon Morley (British Antarctic Survey), Dr. Ofer Gon (South African Institute dsr2.2010.05.026 for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown, South Africa). González Wevar C.A., Nakano T., Cañete J.I. & E. Poulin. 2010. "Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of Nacella (Patellogastropoda: PROJECTS, PUBLICATIONS, THESES Nacellidae) in the Southern Ocean." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56: PROJECTS 115-124. Palma A.T., Poulin E., Silva M.G., San Martin R.B., Muñoz C.A. Díaz A.D. • "Phylogeography and evolutionary history of the species Neobuccinum eatoni 2007. "Antarctic shallow subtidal echinoderms: is the ecological success of (Mollusca, Neogastropoda) in the Southern Ocean." Principal researcher: Angie broadcasters related to ice disturbance?" Polar Biology 30: 343-350. CI 1.734 Díaz. Financed by FONDECYT-INACH. Poulin E., A. T. Palma and J-P. Féral 2002. "Evolutionary versus ecological • "Comparative genomic study in patellogastropods of genus Nacella success of developmental modes in coastal Antarctic benthic invertebrates." (Schumacher, 1817) from several biogeographical regions along the Chilean and Trends in Ecology and Evolution 17: 218-222. CI 14.797. Antarctic coasts." Principal researcher: Leyla Cárdenas. Financed by INACH. THESES (DATE OF THESIS DEFENSE) • "Phylogeogaphy, demographic inference, patterns and post-glacial recolonization routes in the Antarctic limpet Nacella (Patinigera) concinna Fabiola Peña, "Effects of climate change on the demographic history of (Strebel, 1908)." Principal researcher: Claudio González. Financed by INACH Antarctic penguins (Genus: Pygoscelis): A molecular approach." University of Chile, Masters work. 12/04/2013. • "Molecular divergence and connectivity in the Southern Ocean: a model of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic rings." Principal researcher: Dr. Elie Poulin. Mathias Hune, "Phylogeography and molecular divergence among species of Financed by FONDECYT-INACH. genus Harpagifer (Richardson, 1844) from Antarctica and Patagonia." University PUBLICATIONS of Magallanes, Masters work, 11/01/2013. Claudia Maturana, "Reproductive strategy in Antarctica: Seasonal reproduction Poulin, E., González-Wevar, C., Díaz, A., Gérard, K. and Hüne, M. 2014. and mating patterns in the brooding sea-urchin Abatus agassizii (Mortensen)", "Divergence between Antarctic and South American marine invertebrates: what University of Chile, Masters work, 02/12/2011. molecules tell us about the Scotia Arc geodynamics and the intensification of the Antarctic circumpolar current." Global and Planetary Change, in press. Angie Díaz, "Evolutionary relations and diversification processes for genus Sterechinus (Echinodermata: Echinoida) in both deep and shall zones of the Fuenzalida G., Molina C., Poulin E., Gonzalez-Wevar C. & L. Cardenas. 2014. Southern Ocean," University of Chile, doctoral work, 01/10/2012. "Next-generation transcriptome characterization in three patelogastropods of genus Nacella from South America and Antarctica." Marine Genomics, in press. Claudio González, "Historical and recent history in genus Nacella (Schumacher, 1817) (Patellogastropoda: Nacellidae), along its distribution in the Southern Peña F., Poulin E., Dantas G., González-Acuña D., Petry M.V. & J. A. Vianna. Ocean," University of Chile, doctoral work, 07/07/2010. 2014. "Have historical climate changes affected Pygoscelis adelia penguin populations in Antarctica?" Plos One 9(4): e95375.

Gonzalez-Wevar C. A., Saucède T., Morley S.A., Chown S.L., Poulin E. 2013. "Extinction and recolonization of maritime Antarctica in the limpet Nacella concinna (Strebel, 1908) during the last glacial cycle: toward a model of Quaternary biogeography in shallow Antarctic invertebrates." Molecular Ecology 22: 5221-5236.

González-Wevar, C. A.; Diaz, A.; Gerard, K.; Cañete, J.I.; Poulin, E. 2012. "Divergence time estimations and contrasting patterns of genetic diversity between Antarctic and southern South American benthic invertebrates." Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 85: 445-456.

Díaz, A.; Gonzalez-Wevar, C. A.; Maturana, C.; Palma, A.T.; Poulin, E.; Gerard, K. (2012) "Restricted geographic distribution and low genetic diversity of the brooding sea-urchin Abatus agassizii (Spatangoidea: Schizasteridae) in the

8 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science WHEN DID ANTARCTIC AND SUB-ANTARCTIC MARINE FAUNA BECOME SEPARATED?

WHEN DID ANTARCTIC AND SUB-ANTARCTIC MARINE FAUNA BECOME SEPARATED?

The Southern Ocean (SO) includes waters masses between the Antarctic continent and the Subtropical Front, an oceanographic feature that marks the transition between warm and salty subtropical waters and cooler, fresh waters to the South. The fauna here are unlike that of other regions of the planet and reflect tremendous geological and climatic changes during the past 50 million years.

There is a hypothesis that many of the related species between the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia drifted apart as the result of a physical separation of these continents some 25 million years ago. Researchers at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory at the University of Chile studied the divergence and genetic diversity of benthic marine invertebrates (urchins, limpets, and bivalves) from Antarctica and South America. Molecular analyses in these groups detected marked genetic divergence between these taxa. In addition, they were able to determine that the separation occurred between during the Pliocene, around 3.7 and 5.0 million years ago, long after the physical separation of these continental landmasses. Genetic comparisons between Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic species of Nacella and Sterechinus detected lower levels of genetic diversity in Antarctic species, suggesting more pronounced effects of the glacial episodes in Antarctica than in South America. These results may reflect the dramatic effect of the Quaternary glacial cycles on Antarctic population sizes, especially in groups with narrow bathymetric ranges.

Claudio González-Wevar, Angie Díaz, Karin Gérard, and Elie Poulin Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Universidad de Chile. [email protected] D.SCHORIES

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 9 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

The Southern Ocean has experienced major tectonic, of the Drake Passage and were progressively separated by deep oceanographic, and climatic changes during the last 40 million years waters. which profoundly impacted the benthic marine fauna that inhabit Recent observations of non-Antarctic crustacean larvae in Antarctic this region. The fragmentation of Gondwana and the opening of waters indicate that some groups can travel across the ACC. the Tasman Passage (between Antarctic and Australia), and Drake’s Similarly, records of non-Antarctic lithoid crabs in the deep water Passage (between Antarctica and South America) shaped the ocean of the Antarctic continental slope suggests that these crabs may be circulation of the region through the development of the Antarctic returning to this region. Such findings highlight the permeability Circumpolar Current (ACC). The ACC acts as a biogeographic barrier of the polar front in space and time, raising questions about how for many invertebrate taxa, particularly between Antarctic and organisms got to Antarctica and how often these processes happened sub-Antarctic areas. However, the ACC transports individuals across in the past. geographically distant areas in the sub-Antarctic realm, especially in The main objective of this study is to evaluate if the ACC has those species with high dispersive potential. constituted an effective oceanographic barrier for larval dispersal The distribution, abundance, and composition of the between two Provinces of the Southern Ocean to estimate since it near-shore marine benthic fauna of the Southern Ocean reflects a has operated. For this purpose we selected species of three genera, all characterized by possessing indirect development with the Sterechinus agassizii Nacella magellanica Yoldia woodwardi Magallanes Magallanes Magallanes presence of a dispersive larval stage. At the same time, to discount the possibility of a deep-sea connection after the opening of the Drake Passage, we included groups of organisms with narrow bathymetrical distribution that are restricted to the continental shelves Antarctica and South America. The information contained in their DNA sequences allows us to estimate when the Antarctic 56 bp Circumpolar Current became a barrier for these groups and what the 51 bp 48 bp demographic effects have been been from glacial processes. We analyzed fragments of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) in congeneric species of the urchin Sterechinus (945 base pairs=bp), the limpet Nacella (62 bp) and the clam Yoldia (688 bp) collected in Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula. We estimated the molecular divergence between Sterechinus neumayeri Nacella concinna Yoldia eightsi Antarctica Antarctica Antarctica Antarctic and South American species of each group, using the “Molecular Clock” hypothesis. In addition, genealogical relationships Figure 1. Network of haplotypes constructed using COI sequences in congeneric species from A) Sterechinus (n = 150), B) Nacella (n = 191); C) Yoldia (n = 10). Each haplotype is represented by were constructed for each group using the Median-Joining algorithm. a circle whose size is proportional to its frequency. Levels of genetic polymorphism were also established for the species Nacella and Sterechinus using standard indices of diversity, along Species N KH S ∏ π with reconstruction of distribution mismatch used as an indicator of Sterechinus neumayeri (Antarctica) 110 15 0.239 17 0.309 0.0003 population demographic histories. Sterechinus agassizii (Magallanes) 40 16 0.768 21 1.885 0.0019 We were able to determine marked differences between Antarctic Nacella concinna (Antarctica) 161 38 0.630 18 0.850 0.0012 Nacella magellanica (Magallanes) 81 81 0.828 29 2.338 0.0035 and Magellanic species in all analyzed groups, which when measured as a percentage of differentiation, gave the following

Table 1. Indixes of genetic diversity in species Sterechinus and Nacella in Antarctic Peninsula results: Sterechinus 7.2%, Nacella 7.7% and Yoldia 7.0% (Fig. 1). The and southern South America. N = number of individuals sampled; K = number of haplotypes; S divergence between Antarctic and South American species took = polymorphic sites; H = haplotype diversity; ∏ = Average number of nucleotide differences; π = nucleotide diversity. place during the Pliocene (between 3.7 and 5 million years ago). In urchins, the last contact between S. neumayeri (Antarctica) and S. complex interaction between both biotic and abiotic processes in agassizii (South America) occurred between 4.4 and 5 million years space and time. ago. The separation between the limpet N. concinna (Antarctica) and Several groups of marine invertebrates that are abundant and N. magellanica (South America) took place some 3.7 million years ago diverse in other adjacent regions are scarcely represented or even and the separation between absent in the SO. Examples include key elements of gastropods, the clam Y. eightsi (Antarctica) and Y. woodwardi (South America) bivalves, decapods and fishes. However, other marine groups occurred 3.9 million years ago. such as porifera, bryozoa, echinodermata, polychaeta, ascidians, The topology and extent of the genealogies of the South American pycnogoniids, amphipods and isopods are highly abundant and species were greater than those of the Antarctic species (Fig. 1 diverse, suggesting that major climatic and oceanographic changes and Table 1). We detected marked differences in the shape of in the region did not impede their evolutionary success the mismatch distributions between Antarctic and sub-Antarctic High levels of faunal affinities are particularly clear between species of Nacella and Sterechinus that reflect differences in Antarctica and the southern tip of South America, commonly known their demographic histories. For instance pair-wise differences of as the Antarctic-Magellan connection. A traditional interpretation for Antarctic species S. neumayeri (Fig. 2A) and N. concinna (Fig. 2C) this affinity is that these regions were contiguous until the opening are characterized by L-shaped distributions, while S. agassizi (Fig.

10 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science WHEN DID ANTARCTIC AND SUB-ANTARCTIC MARINE FAUNA BECOME SEPARATED?

2B) and N. magellanica (Fig. 2D) from southern South America larger study groups and additional taxa, taking into account other showed unimodal and bimodal patterns of distribution, respectively, Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. In this way we will be able to further supporting clear differences in trends and rhythms of the contribute valuable information that will advance our understanding demographic changes between the provinces of the SO. of the origin and diversification of the marine fauna of the Southern In conclusion, our genetic results demonstrate clear differences Ocean. between Antarctic and South American near-shore benthic marine taxa. Congeneric species present in Antarctica and South America represent evolutionary units differentiated over millions of years. Thus the Antarctic Circumpolar Current represents an effective barrier against the genetic flow between the two regions of the Southern Ocean. Glossary Nevertheless, for those taxa that possess larval states with an Larval dispersal – The intergenerational spread of larvae away from a source to elevated potential for dispersion, the beginning of this separation the destination at the end of the larval stage. would have occurred much later than the actual physical separation Benthos – Community of organisms which live on, in, or near the seabed of the continents. (benthic zone). This community lives near marine sedimentary environments, from tidal pools along the foreshore, out to the continental shelf, and then Our results indicate that the connection between the Antarctic down to the abyssal depths. Peninsula and South America was maintained until the beginning Molecular Clock – The molecular clock hypothesis is a technique in molecular evolution that uses fossil constraints and rates of molecular change to deduce of the Pliocene (5.3 million years ago). During this time, changes the time in geologic history when two species or taxa diverged. in ocean circulation patterns, along with an intensification of the Haplotype – A collection of specific alleles (particular DNA sequences) in a Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Polar Front, have brought cluster of tightly-linked genes on a chromosome that are likely to be inherited together. Hence, haplotype is the group of genes that a progeny inherits from about an effective oceanographic barrier, creating divergence in one parent. near-shore benthic marine fauna that currently characterize the two biogeographic regions. Publications

This new hypothesis should be validated by future research, with Elie Poulin, Claudio González-Wevar, Angie Díaz, Karin Gérard, Mathias Hüne. (In press) “Divergence between Antarctic and South American marine invertebrates: what molecules tell us about Scotia Arc geodynamics and the intensification of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current”. Global and Planetary Change. González-Wevar C. A., Saucède T., Morlay S.A., Chown S.L.; Poulin, E. 2013. “Extinction and recolonization of maritime Antarctica in the limpet Nacella concinna (Strebel, 1908) during the last glacial cycle: toward a model of Quaternary biogeography in shallow Antarctic invertebrates”. Molecular Ecology 22: 5521-5536. González-Wevar, C. A.; Diaz, A.; Gerard, K.; Cañete, J.I.; Poulin, E. 2012. “Divergence time estimations and contrasting patterns of genetic diversity between Antarctic and southern South America benthic invertebrates”. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 85: 445-456. Díaz, A., Féral, J.-P., David B., Saucède T& E. Poulin. 2011. “Evolutionary pathways among shallow and deep sea echinoids of the genus Sterechinus in the Southern Ocean”. Deep Sea Research II. 58: 205-211 González Wevar C.A., Nakano T., Cañete J.I. & E. Poulin. 2010. “Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of Nacella (Patellogastropoda: Nacellidae) in the Southern Ocean”. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 56: 115-124.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the following projects and institutions: Thesis projects INACH B_01_07, INACH Lab project G_04-11Conicyt 24090009, Conicyt Ph.D. D-21060218 and Fondecyt postdoctorate project 3120075 to C.G-W; Fondecyt postdoctorate 3100139 to K.G.; INACH D_05-09 and Conicyt Ph.D. D_21-08 to A.D. At the same time, this research was supported by the Projects P05-002 ICM and PFB 023 (Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad IEB, Universidad de Chile), INACH 02-02, INACH 13-05, and ECOS C06B02 to E.P. Thanks are also due to international program as Figure 2. Distribution of paired differences for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) in AntEco, CAML, EBA-SCAR and PROSUL-Brazil for encouraging and supporting Antarctic Antarctic and sub-Antarctic species of Nacella and Sterechinus. A) Sterechinus neumayeri; B) research in evolution. Sterechinus agassizii; C) Nacella concinna; D) Nacella magellanica. X Axis = Paired differences. Y Axis = Frequency.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 11 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

First Inventory of Hydrozoans in Fildes Bay

Hydrozoans feed on a wide range of small-sized particles and are important filterers of zooplankton, seston (living and non-living material that floats in the water) and other material suspended in a column of water.

During our campaign in the years 2010 and 2011 there were 21 species of shallow-water bottom-dwelling hydrozoans identified, with nine families and fourteen genera, as a part of the project called "Underwater geo-referencing, biodiversity, and growth rates in the southern oceans," financed by INACH. An autonomous diver towed an underwater GPS during demonstrations conducted in Fildes Bay, between 0 and 30 meters depth, using a nondestructive methodology for monitoring of the biodiversity there. Several species were re-described, such as Hydractinia angusta, Orthopyxis norvegiae y Silicularia pedunculata, while two species were listed for the first time at the South Shetland Islands: Staurocladia charcoti and Candelabrum penola, resulting in an important contribution for the understanding of Antarctic underwater life.

Dirk Schories1, Horia Galea2, Gerd Niedzwiedz3 1Austral University of Chile, 2Hydrozoan Research Laboratory (France) y 3University of Rostock (Germany) [email protected]

12 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science First Inventory of Hydrozoans in Fildes Bay

1 tentacles – 2 mouth – 3 hidroteca – 4 gastric column – 5 diaphragm – 6 ring – 7 pedicel – 8 perisarco – 9 coenosarc – 10 gonotecal opening – 11 gonoteca – 12 buds jellyfish – 13 blastostilo – 14 gonotecal pedicel – 15 stolon – 16 male jellyfish – 17 spermatids cells – 18 female jellyfish – 19 eggs – 20 zygote – 21 planula – 22 primary polyp – 23 polyp – 24 gonophore – 25 actinula

Around the world, more than 3,700 species of hydrozoans are known. Most of them live in marine environments, but some have become established in fresh water. Generally speaking, hydrozoans are characterized by one of three types of life-cycles:

1. Species that produce the umbrella-shaped medusae and are free-swimming (they lack gonads once they leave the hydroid colony. Nevertheless, they are capable of feeding themselves, growing, and developing gonads). (Fig. 1)

2. Species with medusoids (smaller medusae) and which possess gonads once they leave the hydroid colony. These live only short periods of time, from minutes to hours. Since they having no mouth they are unable to feed themselves. Their role is only to distribute their gamates into the water column.

3. Species with gonophores (gonads attached directly to the hydroid colony, which liberate gamates into the water column). The Figure 1. Life cycle and terms used to describe some features of the hydrozoans: A) General morphology and life cycle of a colony. hydrozoid colonies can grow only a few millimeters or, conversely, B) Life cycle of Candelabrum penola, actinula, and gonophore according to Manton (1940). form large branching colonies measuring several decimeters. C) Life cycle of Staurocladia sp producing free-swimming anemone, polyp according to Schuchert (1996).

The hydrozoans have been intensely studied in Antarctic waters Table 1: List of hydrozoan families and species found at Fildes Bay. during the past decades. Nevertheless, the oldest descriptions of the species are often incomplete and generally lack images of the living species in their natural state. For this reason, 49 samples of hydrozoans were taken from Fildes Bay on King George Island under the framework of our biodiversity and geo-referencing project (Fig. 2) and a total of 21 species were identified (Table 1).

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 13 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

are not found in Chilean continental waters, although recently the species S. vallentini was found by the authors. The largest species we found was Candelabrum penola (Fig. 3). It is one of the 15 known species of the genus Candelabrum. Very few other solitary hydrozoan species reach the size of several decimeters. The best known is Branchioceranthus imperator, found in deep water and reaching a height of 50 to 60 centimeters (size of species 59º W 58º W recovered) at the SHO lane at 43 meters depth, attached to the stalk of a sea-fan, while other small Candelabrum examples were present 62ºc S KGI near this location. Candelabrum is a solitary hydrozoan with a body divided in three FB regions: a basal foot or hydrorhiza region, a medial blastostyle- bearing region, and an elongated body region (trunk) with a round distal mouth. All the known records are on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This is the first record for the South Shetland Islands. There are probably other Candelabrum species present in shallow waters around King George Island. Candelabrum austrogeorgiae was found in 2003 by the first author at Admiralty Bay. Candelabrum species, up to the present time, are unknown in Chilean continental waters, but a yet unidentified species was found by us in the Chaihuín sector, near Valdivia. Hydractinia angusta is one of the hundred species of known Hydractinia (fig. 4). It has a circumantarctic distribution and was found in Fildes Bay near Ardley island (ARD, at 38 meters depth) and on SHOA island (SHO, at 43 meters). Orthopyxis norvegiae was found at Tu Rocks and at Nebles Point in We employ a geo-referencing method tied to the analysis of images depths of between 15 and 30 meters (Fig. 5). It is commonly found and sampling of species to provide identification and evaluation of among sea-weed such as Desmarestia spp., but also grows over other their specific distribution in the bay (see INACH Bulletin vol 29, n.1). hydrozoan colonies such as Sertularella gaudichaudi. Its presence is All the hydrozoan samples were taken by autonomous divers along reported at the South Georgia Islands, Kerguelen Island, Marion Island the GPS lanes that run from the shallow shore to about 30 meters and Prince Edward Island, and the South Shetland Islands. in depth. Some additional samples were taken beyond 40 meters of Silicularia pedunculata is known in the South Shetland Islands and depth. The GPS lanes included all types of substrates to be found in the South Georgias (Fig. 6). In may be very common in many shallow- the bay, in protected as well as exposed locations. The research took water (1 meter) locations. We found this species at two stations (SHO, place in locations with a moderate slope, including vertical walls, PNS), always growing on the underside of rocks.c while locations directly in front of glaciers were not examined. Many hydrozoan species are only known to be found in Antarctic We found hydrozoans all along all of our transects, from the low- waters, while others extend into sub-Antarctic waters. Within the tide limit through the greatest depth of our dives. Some species show context of global warming, more detailed information is needed a specific distribution. For example, some are present only below about the geographical distribution of species endemic to Antarctic walls in shallow water or attached on top of the stalks of gorgonians in order to be able to examine the ways in which new conditions (sea-fans), while other specials show a more generalized distribution. affect their development. In the sampled materials we found an anenome that crawls ks. along the ocean bottom. Staurocladia charcoti is a small benthic anemone that was found mostly among seaweed and rocks. The majority of the species of Staurocladia are known for their asexual reproduction (although they also reproduce sexually through gametes). Staurocladia charcoti is primarily a non-swimmer and moves by crawling or climbing along substrates by means of walking tentacles. Little is known about the life of Staurocladia in its natural habitat. Staurocladia charcoti was previously found in the Wilhelm archipelago, McMurdo Sound, in the Antarctic Peninsula (Graham Land), and some sub-Antarctic locations. This is the first record in the South Shetland Islands. This species was found between 9 and 18 meters of depth and is very common in the shallow waters in front More information of the Chilean maritime authority at Fildes Bay (Fig 2: ESC), but was A detailed description of the species mentioned in this article can be found in: also present at other locations (SHO, PRZ). The species of Staurocladia Galea, H. R., and D. Schories (2012). Some hydrozoans (Cnidaria) from King George Island, Antarctica. Zootaxa 3321: 1-21.

14 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science 6 3 2

Figure 2. Map of the study area at Fildes Bay, 16 km long which opens to the southeast and extends between King George Island and Nelson Island. The study stations are briefly described as follows: 1) Nebles Point (PNS, 62° 11’ 18’’ S, 58° 52’ 20” W).Vertical rock up to 15 meters, with some stones and rocks in deeper parts. 2) Shuffield Point (SUF, 62° 11’ 47’’ S, 58° 55’ 54” W). Water depth in the first 200 meters from the coast is less than 10 meters, at the bottom are rocks and stones with abundant macroalgae. 3) Rodriguez Point (PRZ, 62° 11’ 57” S, 58° 56’ 34” W). The first 200 meters from the coast are shallow water (less than 3 meters), the bottom is predominantly stones, increasing in slope to more than 30 meters, with increasing soft sediment, with the bottom showing iceberg impacts. 4) Escudero (ESC, 62° 12’ 05” S, 58° 57’ 37” W). Rock and stone up to 8 meters of depth, continuing with a slight slope up t 25 meters depth, with predominantly soft bottom. 5) Shoa Island (SHO, 62° 12’ 12” S, 58° 56’ 37” W). Small rock vertical, up to 8 meters of depth, continuing with a moderat slope up to 40 meters depth, with the bottom consisting of rock and stone, below 40 meters primarily soft substrate. 6) Ardley Island; (ARD, 62° 12’ 35” S, 58° 55’ 33” W). Bottom predominantly small stones and rocks, moderate slope. The coverage of macroalgae extends to 30 meters depth. 7) Tu Rocks (RAS, 62° 13’ 17” S, 58° 53’ 13” W). Single nearly vertical rock, more than 80 meters depth, located nearly 4.4 kilometers to the southeast of Escudero.

Figure 3. A unique Candelabrum penola polyp (60 cm) growing on the stalk of a sea-fan.

Figure 4. Hydractinia angusta growing on a polychaete tube.

Figure 5. Orthopyxis norvegiae attached to brown kelp (Desmarestia).

Figure 6. Staurocladia charcoti. The size of this small anemone is between 3 and 8 mm.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 15 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

The fragile life of the Antarctic ocean floor

Contributions to Antarctic research have been largely developed at land- based stations, but in recent decades research ships have contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge surrounding the Antarctic seabed. Recently, we conducted the CAMBIO Expedition 2011 (CAMBIO: Change in Antarctic Marine BIOta) aboard the German scientific icebreaker R/V Polarstern. The results to date have been revealing. The disturbances caused by the erosive action of icebergs has had a tremendous impact on the Antarctic marine ecosystem, impacting the structure and diversity of marine shallow-water benthic communities. Under the current climate change scenario, increases in this type of disturbance may irreversibly damage the functioning of these ecosystems, according to revelations noted for the project "Macrofaunal response to disturbances by sea-ice in the Weddell Sea: experimental simulation by trawling and by the effects of ice erosion on the trophic structure." This project is funded by INACH and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).

Late in the last century, the idea that as the evolutionary history of the Antarctic such an obviously hostile and frigid marine continent. habitat could not accommodate a diverse The continental shelf of the Weddell ecosystem has changed dramatically in the Sea hosts one of the most diverse light of results of scientific expeditions, communities in the Southern Ocean. These Américo Montiel1, Eduardo Quiroga2, Dieter Gerdes3 principally in the Weddell Sea, one of the communities are largely dominated by 1University of Magallanes, best studied areas of the Southern Ocean. suspension feeders (those that feed by 2Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, In fact, there have been several attempts filtering suspended organic matter), with 3 Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany) to estimate the number of species living the Hexactinellid sponges, gorgonians and [email protected] on the seabed in this region. Results ascidians being the most abundant. Their show that there are about 4100-17000 populations give these communities a species of organisms. Among the various three-dimensional space similar to that of Figure 1. Three-dimensional view of the benthic community in the Weddell Sea, dominated by a dense aggregation organisms described in these regions are tropical forests, where plants compete for of stalked sponges (Stylocordyla sp.) and soft corals (Pennatulacea). Below them, a blanket of hundreds of the amphipod crustaceans, gastropods, sunlight, while in this marine community colonies of bryozoans and ascideas. and segmented worms called polychaetes, the organisms compete for food falling from whose sizes and shapes vary according the surface (Fig. 1). to where they were collected. This great In recent years the belief has grown that diversity is related to the fact that benthic the only changes affecting the Antarctic communities are often subjected to ecosystem are anthropogenic in origin disturbances produced by icebergs, as well (global warming and UV radiation).

16 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science The fragile life of the Antarctic ocean floor

However, near the edges of the (key organisms in benthic community continental ice, there is evidence recorded recovery) had not recolonized the disturbed of large areas that have been disturbed area. The species of Antarctic sponges have by the erosion of large icebergs. This is extremely low growth rates and would be due to both their size and from the action indicative of benthic communities in this of falling from the ice shelves onto the region returning to their climax state or adjacent seabed. These disturbances on the initial state. In some cases they can take seabed have a significant impact on benthic hundreds of years to recover and it has communities and in some cases may cause been speculated that they might never a complete loss of fauna (Fig. 2), leaving return to an initial state. For example, it is behind a trail of destruction that may reported that some of these species have Figure 2. Sea bottom (Weddell Sea) after erosion caused by an eventually recover through an ecological ages ranging between 35 years (Cinachyra iceberg (courtesy J. Gutt, AWI). process called "succession". Ecological antarctica) and 1500 years (Rossella spp). succession is defined as the natural For this reason, recovery prospects may be evolution or replacement of species within bleak, since in a climate change scenario, an ecosystem following a disturbance. lability (or fragility) of these ecosystems The succession process would explain the is very high, so a change in temperature spatial distribution of benthic organisms in could significantly affect the structure and the Weddell Sea, since in some places the functioning of these ecosystems. species richness values can reach several Glossary hundreds of species while communities Continental shelf. The area of seabed near a coast, elsewhere reveal very low diversity. located between the shore and the edge of the It is within this context that the Alfred continental slope. Ice floes. Floating ice that forms in the polar ocean Wegener Institute (AWI) has focused its regions. Figure 3. Sea bottom (Weddell Sea) (March 2011) which research on ecological succession as a State of climax. The state of climax in a community had been artificially disturbed in December 2003 during the BENDEX expedition. single theoretical framework for empirical is when it reaches a stable state of development and where there is little growth in biomass; where testing. For this it has conducted several organisms become more specialized, better adapted, Quantitative Benthic Ecology Group that participated in the scientific expeditions in the Weddell Sea. and more organized; that is, the community is CAMBIO expedition. Right to left: Dieter Gerdes (AWI), Eduardo mature and makes optimum use of space and Quiroga (PUCV) and Américo Montiel (UMAG) on the Ektröm During December 2003, the recolonization energy, establishing a dynamic equilibrium between ice shelf, Antarctica, March 2011. experiment called BENDEX (Benthic organisms and the environment. Disturbance Experiment) was conducted. Macroinfauna. Fauna larger than 1 mm that inhabit sediments. At that time the effect of disturbance by ice was artificially induced through ISI Publications trawls in one location, causing a controlled Quiroga E., Gerdes D., Montiel A., Knust R., Jacob U. (2014) "Normalized biomass size-spectra in high disturbance. In the summer of 2011, Antarctic macrobenthic communities: linking trophic during the "CAMBIO" expedition aboard position and body size." Marine Ecology Progress the icebreaker R/V Polarstern revisited Series 506:99-113. this site after a period of seven years, to Other Publications assess the degree of recovery of the benthic Dieter G., Knust R, Montiel A, Quiroga E, Bohlmann H communities. This was part of the project (2012) "Macrobenthic soft-bottom in- and epifauna. Knust R., Gerdes D. & Mintenbeck K (Eds). The "Macrofauna response to disturbances by Expedition of the Research Vessel "Polarstern" to sea ice in the Weddell Sea: experimental the Antarctic in 2011 (ANT-XXVII/3) (CAMBIO)." Ber. Polar. Meeresforsch. 644: 32-34. simulation trawls and the effects of ice erosion in the trophic structure", funded by Montiel A. (2012) "Biodiversity and distribution INACH and AWI (Fig. 3). patterns of polychaetes in the Scotia Arc, the Antarctic Peninsula and the eastern Weddell Sea One of the intrinsic characteristics of an shelf. Knust R., Gerdes D. & Mintenbeck K (Eds).The ecosystem, which has been ignored in the Expedition of the Research Vessel "Polarstern" to case of the Southern Ocean, is resilience. the Antarctic in 2011 (ANT-XXVII/3) (CAMBIO)." Ber. Polar. Meeresforsch. 644: 32-34. The resilience of a community or ecosystem is understood to be the capacity (i.e., speed) Theses of recovery of a biological system to its Sepúlveda N. (2013) "Impacto de red de arrastre sobre las comunidades macrobentónicas: implicancia initial or balance point after a disturbance. en la estructura comunitaria del Mar de Weddell During the CAMBIO expedition, the (Antártica)". Undergraduate thesis (Marine biology), artificially disturbed site (BENDEX site) University of Magallanes. showed no improvement, suggesting that the Weddell Sea benthic macrofauna community has a very low degree of resilience. The giant Hexactinellid sponges

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 17 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE Juncus bufonius, a new "immigrant" to maritime Antarctica

Taxononomic and palynological analyses provide the basis and support for the opinion that a new exotic plant, the toad rush (Juncus bufonius L.), has

Marely Cuba-Díaz and Mauricio Rondanelli-Reyes established itself in Antarctica. The presence of a new University of Concepción (Chile) and foreign taxon brings increased new interest to the Los Ángeles campus [email protected] discussion surrounding the means of propagation, colonization, and potential establishment of invasive Figure 2. Floral morphology details of Juncus bufonius. species in the coastal regions of the Antarctic Peninsula. Such non-native organisms enjoy increasing opportunities as the near-shore ice is diminished from the way global warming affects this part of the planet. The toad rush discovery was made under a project called “Relationship between sucrose accumulation and SPS activity induced by cold in Colobanthus quitensis with the expression of sucrose- phosphate synthase (SPS) isoforms: modulation according to daylight duration and quality of light, with differentiation is several natural populations,” financed by INACH. The global warming taking place on Earth is a cause for concern among several players in modern society. The Antarctic continent is still considered to be a pristine zone, in part due to its geographical isolation, its extreme environmental conditions, and the relatively late arrival of human beings. On the other hand, the Antarctic Peninsula region continues to suffer from this dramatic phenomenon, transforming previously frozen land areas into ice-free stretches. This, when added to increased human activity, whether due to the scientific work in the area, associated with the arrival of logistical support personnel, or by the increase in tourism, has made Antarctica more vulnerable to the invasion and successful establishment of non- native (exotic) species. The invasion of non-native species is considered by experts to be one of the principal threats to global biodiversity, where severe ecological imbalance may result, including the displacement or extinction of native species. Antarctica is characterized by low vascular plant diversity, which includes the Antarctic pearlwort [Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl, (Caryophyllaceae, dicotiledonea)] and Antarctic hair grass [Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae, monocotiledonea)], considered the only native species whose populations are found naturally in ice-free coastal areas. There is mention in the literature of the appearance of several non-native organisms (and this is not limited to plants) in Antarctica, but only two species of vascular plants, annual meadow grass (Poa annua) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), that are considered non-native and established, and primarily associated with areas involving human activities. Poa annua has demonstrated its natural colonization ability by growing in the moraines left by the retreat of the glacier Ecology, located near the Polish base Arctowski. Both species are considered within the group of 670 most-damaging invasive plants on the planet, according to entries in the database of world-wide invasive species, listed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). Several potential dispersal means have been described for the propagules or biological material, in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic zone, where dispersion may be effected by natural methods such as the wind, migratory birds, marine mammals, ocean currents,

18 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science and propagation methods favored by Man family Caryophyllaceae (a family that Figure 1. Germination and development of plants obtained from seeds and vegetative propagules from field samples: himself. These include clothing, foodstuffs, includes the Antarctic pearlwort) and (a) Germination of seeds from pods collected in the field. vehicles, shipping, and construction Poaceae (the family to which Antarctic hair (b) Seedlings and pods with flowers. (c) Results of seed germination. materials, where several of these may be grass belongs) but this also confirmed the (d) Deschampsia antarctica plants propagated through contributing to the dispersion of organisms presence of Juncus, with the determination vegetative reproduction in the laboratory. or potentially reproductive parts of of pollen belonging to Juncaceae (Figure 3) organisms. . Surprisingly, there were also pollen grains In the project called “Relationship from other plant families. between sucrose accumulation and SPS J. bufonius is a species that is abundant activity induced by cold in Colobanthus in Patagonia, and has been noted in quitensis with the expression of sucrose- the sub-Antarctic islands, where it was phosphate synthase (SPS) isoforms: probably introduced from Europe. There is modulation according to daylight duration bibliographic evidence about the dispersion and quality of light, with differentiation of seeds from this species attached to parts is various natural populations,” financed of vehicles and transported more than by INACH, we undertook activities in 15,000 km with subsequence successful December of 2009 near the Polish base germination in Antarctica. Arctowski, on the west coast of Admiralty Bay on King George Island. WORK TEAM Plant samples were taken along with part of the soil associated with their roots for Principal researcher: Dr. Marely Cuba-Díaz. future laboratory research. Coincidentally, Research associate: Dr. Mauricio Rondanelli Reyes (Antarctic palynology). seeds from plant ears, presumably from D. International contributors: Peter Convey (British antarctica collected in the field, achieved Antarctic Survey) and Katarzyna Chwedorzewska (Department of Antarctic Biology, Polish Academy of a high percentage of germination in the Science). laboratory (Figure 1a) which was considered Undergraduates: Felipe Ruiz (thesis in work), noteworthy since the earlier literature Eduardo Fuentes, Francisco Cid, Paulina Bravo, and Cristian Arcos. on this species showed a low capacity for germination in the field as well as in the PROJECT laboratory. “Historic and recent colonizers: genetic and A high percentage of seedlings were able phenotypic variability and phylogenetic relationships to establish themselves and complete their of Colobanthus quitensis and Juncus bufonius in Figure 3. Evidence of the presence of pollen from family life cycle as far as the formation of seed- the context of regional changes in Antarctica” (Cód. Juncaceae, from a sample obtained from soil associated RG02-13, financed by INACH). ears. Likewise some seed-ears developed with plants from field sites. J: Pollen from Juncaceae. P: Pollen from Poaceae. with morphological characteristics very PUBLICATIONS similar to those obtained from plants In this sense we want to call to attention “Juncus bufonius, a new non-native vascular plant in produced through germination (Figure to the real possibilities of introduction and King George Island, South Shetland Islands.” Marely 1b-d). However, once these flowered there successful establishment of new (non- Cuba-Díaz, J. Max Troncoso, Cristian Cordero, Victor L. Finotand Mauricio Rondanelli-Reyes. Antarctic were doubts as to their taxonomic identity native) species in Antarctica, along with Science, 25(3), 385–386 (2013). (Figure 2). the need to improve mitigation measure Some plant samples, propagated to reduce the accidental transport of “Morphological characterization and phenology of Juncus bufonius L. growing in controlled conditions.” vegetatively or sexually, just as those plants propagules or biological material that could Fuentes. E, Cuba-Díaz M. Extended summary at the collected in the field, were exhaustively disrupt the Antarctic ecosystem. VII Latin American Congress on Antarctic Science. analyzed as to their morphology, which The call to the scientific community is to THESIS showed evidence of their belonging to the develop future research (specific scientific genus Juncus, and named J. bufonius L., in programs) that will lead to clarifying the “Antarctic Juncus bufonius L. morphological the family Juncaceae. existence in Antarctica of other non-native description and molecular analysis”. Thesis by Felipe Ruiz Morales. University of Concepcion, Los Angeles We are seeking better evidence about species, their origins, the most likely means campus. Graduate advisor: Marely Cuba Díaz. the presence of this family in the maritime of introductions, their distribution and the Undergraduate thesis financed by project RG_02-13. zone of Antarctica through a palynological magnitude of these potential populations, analysis of samples of the soils associated and in this way study the possibility of with the roots of the plants that were eradication programs, as required. collected, which has been carefully preserved for other laboratory studies, The pollen analysis showed predictably the presence of pollen belonging to the

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 19 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE Life in the Antarctic Soil - and the Threat from Penguins

Retreating ice in the South Shetland Islands during the past 12,000 years has exposed the soil in such a way as to allow colonization by organisms capable

Cecilia Pérez1, Juan Carlos Aravena2, of establishing themselves in extreme environments. Cristóbal Ivanovich3, Robert McCulloch4 Examples include diazotrophic bacteria, which have 1Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, 2University of Magallanes, 3CEQUA Foundation, the ability to incorporate available nitrogen and 4University of Stirling, Scotland form symbiotic relationships with fungi (in this way [email protected] providing the basis for lichens) or with mosses and liverworts (receiving from them an environment with Biological crust formed by the association of lichens and mosses. the necessary humidity and temperature). These associations produce the biological crust of the soil.

20 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Life in the Antarctic Soil - and the Threat from Penguins

In the deglaciated landscape of the South Shetland Islands it is possible to observe a number of ancient beaches, or "paleoplayas" INACH has financed a project called distributed along the coasts, characterized by a series of near- “The role of biological soil crusts as shore terraces with a varying number of steps. These terraces have been formed as a result of an isostatic "rebound" in the earth non-ornithogenic nitrogen sources in produced when the weight of ice is removed due to melting of the South Shetland Islands" to study the glacial icecap. This thinning of the thick polar ice layer has the contribution of nitrogen from these been taking place continuously on the Antarctic continent, and in particular during the Holocene, for the last 10,000 years. The biological crusts in the conduct of the recently exposed or elevated terraces are closer to the present ecosystem, and the effects of penguin coastline while those that were exposed long ago are farther from the current beach, providing a chronological sequence of these guano in the transport of ammonia, ancient beaches. which can inhibit nitrogen fixation and Once the earth is raised, the geological substrate exposes the affect the biological composition of land to colonization by new living organisms which have the ability to establish themselves in places completely devoid of these crusts. The results indicate that the elements that are essential for life, such as nitrogen. This is a nitrogen fixation achieved by these characteristic of the diazotrophic bacteria that feature an enzyme called nitrogenase, which is capable of transforming atmospheric biological crusts in the soil at Ardley molecular nitrogen, which is unavailable to plants, into nitrogen Island can reach high levels during in the form of ammonia, which can then be metabolized by other organisms. These bacteria make up part of certain symbiotic summers that experience temperatures higher than normal, with production (fixing) of up to 2.5 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year. However, we find that the addition of penguin guano to the biological crusts completely inhibits biological fixing of the nitrogen.

its intricate surface of filidios (leaves) producing an epiphylic association and thereby supplying the essential humid substrate. These organisms, lichens and mosses, form true biological crusts, converting the principal source of nitrogen and organic material, allowing vegetation to colonize these places. Due to the previously mentioned temporal gradient of the terraces, with greater age associated with greater distance from Colonies of diazotrophic bacteria (in this case cyanobacteria, in dark blue groups) in symbiotic association in the lichen Placopsis. Photo taken under a magnifying glass in the the present beach, the older terraces have had the time to develop laboratories at Escudero Station (King George Island), from the biological crust used in the testing by acetylene reduction. more complex ecosystems, from a greater accumulation of organic matter and nutrients in the soil, than the more recent terraces associations, as with lichens, where both components derive closer to the coast. benefit: the fungus receives the benefit of the usable nitrogen, Still, the establishment of diazotrophic bacteria in denuded while the diazotrophic bacteria receives the humid environment soils is far from easy, since their level of activity or ability to fix supplied by the fungus. atmospheric nitrogen is significantly inhibited by the addition of However, cyanobacteria can also live freely on the denuded available nitrogen, since this is a process that requires a great deal substrates found after the retreat of glacial ice or upon the mosses of energy. that have also colonized this type of substrate. In this case the One of the main sources of nitrogen in these coastal ecosystems cyanobacteria form a close relationship with the moss, colonizing is contained in penguin feces, which has a strong and direct impact

Paleoplaya (ancient beach terraces) sequences (shown by white arrows) at Ardley Island in the South Shetlands archipelago.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 21 then measure in the laboratory using a gas chromatograph. For every three moles of acetylene reduced to ethylene, one mole of elemental nitrogen is reduced to ammonia. Using this theoretical conversion factor we can estimate how many moles of nitrogen have been assimilated into the biological crust biomass in ways that are available for metabolism or, in other words, how much nitrogen

Blue-green epiphylic cyanobacteria colonies in the moss Lophosia. Photo taken under a has been fixed by these organisms. magnifying glass at Escudero Station, from the biological crusts used in testing by acetylene Our results indicate that the symbiotic fixation of nitrogen carried reduction. out by the biological soil crusts on Ardley Island can reach high on the environment due to its uric acid content and the ammonia, levels during days with favorable conditions, with temperatures which can be transported through the air for great distances. This over 0 degrees C, at rates up to 2.5 kg of nitrogen per hectare per can result in inhibition of diazotrophic bacteria activity and with year, particularly in the oldest sites. These rates are very similar to that, impacts on the symbiotic associations and the diversity of the those found in epiphytic lichens flora in the temperate forests in communities they comprise, totally modifying the composition of the south of Chile. the vegetation and the dynamics of the formation of the soil. Nevertheless, we also found that the addition of penguin guano We conducted Antarctic field research during the month of to the biological crusts completely inhibits the biological fixation February in the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. The first campaign, of nitrogen, a clear case of negative feedback that the supply of which included the participation of Juan Carlos Aravena, Cristóbal ammonia exercises on the biological fixation of nitrogen. For this Ivanovich, Robert McCulloch, and Cecilia Pérez Barrientos, was reason we conclude that penguin colonies are exercising a direct devoted to determining the best study sites for our objectives, influence over the patterns of lichen and moss distribution. This followed by a run along the southeast coast of the Fildes peninsula shows the complex relationships in the physical and biological and Ardley Island. The series of ancient beach terraces at Ardley dimensions in Antarctica and its surprising development over the Island has been described in the literature as one of the best ages. preserved, free of human influence. With the help of our international partner Robert McCulloch, from the University of Stirling (Scotland), we identified and assigned documented ages to each of the ancient beaches, thus establishing a chronological sequence, which ranges from 7200 to only 200 years ago. Ardley Island has a dense penguin colony located about 1300 meters to the northeast of the chronically sequenced ancient beach terraces, which provides for establishing a natural gradient showing the influence of the penguin guano, and separately, the time- based gradient of the ancient beaches. During the second year of this study, Claudia Mansilla, a Chilean doctoral student from the University of Stirling, was incorporated. Carla Henríquez, a doctoral student from the University of Chile, joined in the third year of our study. In the research conducted on Ardley Island we attempted to answer the following questions: Does the combination of species that make up the communities on these ancient beach terraces fix more nitrogen than those on the more recent beach terraces? How does the direct addition of penguin guano affect the fixation of nitrogen? How does the contribution of ammonia vary with precipitation, in relation to the distance from the penguin sites, Gentoo penguin nest. along with the nitrogen fixation activity? These are the principal questions we tackled during the three years of the INACH-financed project called "The role of biological soil crusts as non-ornithogenic nitrogen sources in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula." The methodology we used to answer these questions involved acetylene reduction testing. The principle of this methodology is that the nitrogenase enzyme of diazotrophic bacteria, apart from chemically reducing elemental nitrogen to ammonia, can also reduce acetylene to ethylene. Adding acetylene to our samples causes the diazotrophic bacteria to produce ethylene, which we

22 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Thermal stress in Antarctic marine organisms: Can they deal with increased water temperatures? Thermal stress in Antarctic marine organisms: Can they deal with increased water temperatures?

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the places where the air temperature has increased in a manner that is unusual for the White Continent, with an appreciable increase noted in its lakes temperatures. This tendency is not very encouraging for marine invertebrates such as sea urchins, starfish, and small crustaceans that live in the peninsula’s fresh-water lakes. Likewise, the ocean temperature in Antarctic waters could increase during the next hundred years by 1 ºC, or 150 percent, (currently the temperature fluctuates between -1.9 and 2.0 ºC). Polar region marine invertebrates could be affected by this increase due to their physiological response mechanisms when exposed to such a new scenario. Our researchers have determined that the Antarctic sea urchins cannot produce thermal stress proteins when exposed to increases in temperature. In addition, this type of stress protein is being evaluated together with antioxidant proteins in other Antarctic organisms, such as crustaceans.

Antarctic marine fauna have evolved in low temperatures and stable environmental condition. Certain organisms, due to their cellular structure and skin adaptations, can generate heat and swim in waters which, even in summer, range between 0 and 2 degrees C. Nevertheless there are other organisms, such as Antarctic fish and marine invertebrates which cannot independently regulate their body temperature separately from their environment (in this case, sea water). For that reason, their internal temperature is the same or slightly above the values of the environment. Antarctic sea urchins are stenothermal. They can live in a narrow range of temperatures between -18 and 2 degrees C. This means that all their cellular and molecular processes take place at low temperature, leading us to assume that, for example, the synthesis of new molecules or their degradation also takes place within that temperature range. Little is known about these adaptations, and for that reason it is intriguing to study them. Antarctic Peninsular invertebrates may now be facing a climate change scenario, where the increase in surface temperatures and the acidification of the ocean could have significant impacts on the abundance, biodiversity, and nutritional problems of the polar ecosystem. A project called "Production of the immune response in the Antarctic sea urchin" is being financed by the startup program under FONDECYT and supported by INACH, to try to understand the effects of temperature increases on the defense mechanisms of the echinoderm Sterechinus neumayeri in the face of pathogens such as viruses or bacteria. We have succeeded in observing that cells similar to our own white blood cells, called coelomocytes, may increase in number and produce certain immune genes when activated in By Marcelo González-Aravena1, the presence of some pathogens. On the other hand, an increase of 5 to 10 degrees C results in Kurt Paschke2 and Luis Mercado Vianco3 a reduction in the expression of these genes. In a short period this dramatic increase results in 1INACH, 2Austral University of Chile (Puerto the degradation of RNA messengers or the halting of the process that produces these genes, Montt headquarters), 3Pontifical Catholic through the possible effect of micro RNA (small molecules of ribonucleic acid that regulate University of Valparaiso. the expression of other genes). However, this hypothesis should be corroborated through [email protected] further experiments. In this way the first genomic analysis of the micro-DNA of the Antarctic sea urchin is being conducted, jointly with researcher Yolanda Espinoza of the Pompeu Fabra

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AMINO GROUP AMINO GROUP HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS (HSPs) AMINO GROUP NH NH 2 NH2 2

COOH

COOH COOH CARBOXYLIC ACID GROUP CARBOXYLIC ACID GROUP CARBOXYLIC ACID GROUP

CORRECTLY fOLDED PROTEIN DENATURED PROTEIN CORRECTLY fOLDED PROTEIN

Figure 1. Following a stress event, one of the functions of heat shock protein HSP70 is to return a denatured protein to its normal folded condition (modified by Whitley et al., 1999. J Vasc Surg; 29:748-51).

University of Barcelona, Spain. urchin, since one type of coelomocytes specifically expresses this At the same time we evaluated the presence and expression of protein in a way that is not inducible. Furthermore, this cell type type HSP 70 thermal stress proteins, which are proteins present in could be a new type of immune cell, left for now for more detailed all living organisms that face the challenges of thermal stress (such study about its functions along with the HSP70 expression in other as a response to high environmental temperatures). tissues (Figure 3). The heat shock proteins (HSP) are part of a family of proteins that There is now a new challenge and another project, financed by help an organism control a response to stress, to reduce damage the FONDECYT regular program, under the name "Grappling with to tissue. Most of the HSP act at a constituent level but when faced warming in the Southern Ocean: Invertebrate responses to thermal with a stress condition they can induce protection of other proteins stress." The project will attempt to demonstrate if thermal stress (Figure 1) may have short- and long-term effects on protein expression However, it is not only heat that increases the expression of these implicated in the control of oxidative stress in cold waters, when proteins, but extreme cold can do likewise, along with exposure this type of antioxidant activity is elevated in these organisms. to pathogens and contaminants such as heavy metals. In this way the term "thermal stress proteins" is something of a misnomer and it would be suitable to call them "stress proteins." Several of these types of proteins have been detected by gene amplification or Figure 3. Recognition of HSP70 in atypical coelomocytes. The protein is in specific antibodies. It is also possible to identify two types of type green, the result of the specific antibody marked with a probe that generates HSP70 heat stress proteins: one that is expressed as Heat Shock fluorescence in that color. In the cell nuclei are revealed in red through the use Cognate (HSC) and the other that is expressed when thermal stress of a compound that links to the DNA. The image of this undetermined antibody coelomocyte is seen with vacuolated cytoplasm in its characteristic nucleus. induces that expression.

5 ºC 10 ºC 0,160 0,140 0,120 0,100 0,080 0,060 0,040 0,020 0,000 CONTROL 1h 24h 48h 1h 24h 48h Figure 2. When using the ELISA method to evaluate expression of HSP 70, it can be seen that the Antarctic sea urchin shows no increase in this protein as a result of various conditions of thermal stress during the observation time, and with respect to the control group.

In the Antarctic sea urchin (S. neumayeri) the expression or inducement of these proteins is not increased in the presence of thermal shock and so this is similar to what occurs in other Antarctic invertebrates such as the sea-star Odontaster validus and the crustacean Paracedarocus gibber. This type of protein is produced steadily at a level that is calculated or determined for facing cold conditions (Figure 2). It may seem contradictory, but extreme cold can damage key proteins of the cellular machinery in the tissues of the Antarctic sea

24 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science This is how superoxide dismutase and environment. catalase enzyme activity are measured, In much the same way there is an along with the expression of other heat interesting comparison between the stress proteins. The use of the Next responses of these crustaceans in two Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies environments: in the ocean, and in a fresh- has also allowed the capture of a great water lake. The marine environment tends deal of information about genes that to increase water temperature, although are expressed by these two Antarctic in the fresh-water lakes of the Antarctic invertebrates under climate change Peninsula we see the most notable increases. scenarios with temperature increases of 3 This could impact species such as the degrees C, as has been predicted in the next fairy shrimp, whose distribution ranges hundred years. The data associated with from Patagonia to Marguerite Bay on the these antioxidant mechanisms may also help Antarctic Peninsula. Our interest here lies Figure 4. A) Antarctic crustaceans. up to understand the processes of cellular in determining theses organisms’ thermal B) Jade Lake, located on the Fildes Peninsula on King George aging. limits and their ability to respond to thermal Island, where Branchinecta gaini can be seen under the ice. C) Detail of fairy shrimp specimens. Evaluation of the effects of thermal stress stress, in order to broaden our understanding D) The giant isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus whose thermal in polar crustaceans has been conducted of the variability of ecophysiological stress will be evaluated. during the last two campaigns (2012-2013); responses in these Antarctic invertebrates. for this reason two organisms that inhabit the waters of the Antarctic - the giant isopod Glyptonotus antarcticus and the tiny fairy shrimp (Branchinecta gaini) - were selected (Figure 4). Figure 5. Oxygen consumption by the giant isopod When the giant isopode was subjected Glyptonotus antarcticus at different temperatures. In a global warming scenario, with water temperature at 3 to temperatures anticipated in a global degrees C, the oxygen consumption increased significantly. warming scenario, it was observed that the This implies that in order to maintain normal activities at this temperature, it must increase its energy production, organism consumed nearly twice the amount which it so say that each individual would have to eat more than it consumes now. This represents no small challenge of oxygen (Figure 5). for this species, since in order to confront this situation it Oxygen consumption is a very good would first have to survive the thermal stress. indicator of metabolic rate, and so this observed increment lets us predict acceleration of this organism’s normal 1000 CURRENT WARMING SCENARIOS activities or metabolism. It also shows that 900 CONDITION the oxygen demand is doubled. For this 800 species, there are several implications and 700 one of them is that there is a relationship 600 between the metabolic rate and energy 500 demand. In the scenario in the study, in 400 order for this species to maintain its normal 300 activities and growth rate, it would have to 200 double its oxygen consumption, which in 100 turn calls for a doubling of the rate of energy OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (MG02*H-1*IND-1) production, or essentially the food ingestion 0 1,2 36 rate, which may be difficult in an Antarctic TEMPERATURE (ºC)

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Lipophilic antioxidants in Antarctic lichens and mosses

Lichens and mosses are the predominant flora in the Antarctic. In order to survive the extreme environmental conditions they were obliged to develop substantial defense mechanisms to confront several types of stress factors. One of several such defenses involved the generation of “reactive oxygen species” (ROS). We produced a study covering the pigments and soluble lipid antioxidants in selected species of lichens and mosses collected on the Fildes peninsula on King George Island during January and February of 2010. Analyses were conducted for prenyl lipids such as tocopherols, plastochromanol, and both oxidized and reduced forms of plastoquinone. There was also analysis of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids). In the majority of the species analyzed the contents of α-tocopherol was significantly high, which could be interpreted as defense mechanism against oxidative stress associated with the unfavorable conditions in Antarctica. There is also discussion surround the changes in the other compounds that were analyzed. These results are the first in the area of information about the contents of lipophilic antioxidants and their composition in selected Antarctic lichens and mosses, which may constitute a novel new source of bioactive compounds and natural antioxidants.

Antarctic exhibits tremendous differences grow in Antarctic suffer from various with low molecular weight, such as the with respect to the distribution of many life types of stress, with the most significant tocochromanols. These are lipid compounds forms. While in the territories surrounding being the low temperatures associated that are synthesized by all photosynthetic Antarctica there is a profusion of life, with with dehydration and in the summer, organisms and are made up of a leading abundant plants (seaweed) and animals, being deprived of the light necessary for chromanol which is an aromatic ring with around the Antarctic islands there is a photosynthesis. On the other hand, long a hydroxyl group, with a prenyl tail. The very limited number of species, due to the hours of light along with low temperatures tocochromanols are divided into two groups: adverse climatic conditions. In fact, of all makes up another form of stress. A common the first are made up of four tocopherol the continents, Antarctica is the coldest and denominator in these stress factors is the homologues (α, β, γ and δ) and four driest, with annual average precipitation in formation of free radicals of oxygen such homologues of tocotrienols. The tocopherols the coastal zones of only about 200 mm (7.9 as dioxygen (singlet oxygen), hydrogen contain saturated lateral chains from the inches), and much less in the continental peroxide, and superoxides. These reactive unsaturated prenyls. The plastochromanol interior. In addition to these climatic oxygen species (also called ROS - chemically also belongs to the tocochromanol family, conditions that hinder plant life, the soil is reactive molecules containing oxygen) are being a homologue γ -tocotrienol but with a of very poor quality and solar radiation can toxic to cells, and damage the DNA as well long lateral chain. very intense during the summer (with a high as the pigments involved in photosynthesis Plastoquinone is another molecule of proportion of UV-B) – or very low in winter, and unsaturated fatty acids present in lipids interest. It is known mainly for being a with prolonged darkness. in the cellular membranes, and in other component in the electron transport chain In Antarctica the predominant flora are molecules and cell structures. for photosynthesis, while plastoquinol, which lichens (about 200 species) and bryophytes Due to all these reasons the plant species is the reduced form, possesses powerful (about 50 species). These flora have that grow under conditions of Antarctic antioxidant properties. The lipophylic managed to survive due to their having stress develop antioxidant systems that antioxidants are very important due to evolved to adapt to the prevailing adverse protect their cells from ROS. These systems the role they play in Vitamin E in human conditions. The lichens and mosses that include enzymes and antioxidant compounds nutrition. This is a liposoluble vitamin which

Kazimierz Strzalka1, Renata Szymanska1 and Mario Suwalsky2 1JagellonianUniversity (Poland), 2University of Concepción [email protected]

26 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Lipophilic antioxidants in Antarctic lichens and mosses

Usnea aurantiaco-atra

in its natural state contains four tocopherols demonstrated earlier that the α-tocopherol the reduced form was observed. On the and four tocotrienols. It is found principally is involved in protection against the stress other hand, the high rate of plastoquinone in vegetable oils, in seeds (such as almonds, induced by low temperatures, while the could be related to the age of the lichens, peanuts, and hazelnuts), and in vegetables γ-tocopherol plays an important role in since plastoquinone accumulates as a such as broccoli and spinach. The greatest adaptation to drought-related stress. It function of time, which is characteristic quantity of Vitamin E is found in vegetable is important to note that plastochromol of very old plants and evergreens. Some seeds (300 to 500 mg per gram), while and the reduced form of plastoquinone analyzed species contain xanthophyll-cycle the leaves contain a significantly lower play a protective role against oxidative pigments; some of the lichens do not contain concentration (between 10 and 50 mg stress similar to that of the tocopherols. violaxanthin, but rather a high level of per gram of fresh material). Among all the δ-tocopherol was found in all the species antheraxanthin, which appears to provide a homologues, α-tocopherol is the form that is analyzed but the contents were relatively compensatory effect. predominant and most active. low (less than 6.4 μg/g of dry weight). The presence of tocochromanols and In January and February of 2010 a trip to Surprisingly, the -tocopherol, which is not plastoquinons in Antarctic mosses and Chilean Antarctica was conducted as part of the most common homologue of tocopherol, lichens is related to their antioxidant the project called “Studies on the Structural was present in a concentration but in only properties. As was shown previously, Effects Induced by Therapeutical Drugs and one species: Polytrichastrum alpinum. In extracts of some Antarctic lichens in a Native Plant Extracts on Cell Membranes” the case of plastochromanol, it was found methanol-water solution and in acetone (financed by both FONDECYT and INACH) in all the moss species studied, with the show strong antioxidant properties. These for the purpose of collecting lichen and exception of Sanioniageorgi councinata, and results also show that the highest content moss species, to study their antioxidant in Warnstrofia sarmentosa only the reduced of antioxidants was present in Stereoculon molecular content. Ten species of lichens form of plastoquinone was absent. alpinum from King George Island, and and five species of mosses were collected on As for the lichens, which make up the that extracts of Stereoculon alpinum and the Fildes Peninsula on King George Island predominant plant form in Antarctica, Caloplaca regalis showed the highest and Ardley Island. These were identified α-tocopherol was present in all ten antioxidant potential. by Dr. María Olech of the Botanic Institute Antarctic lichens and mosses could at Jagiellonian University (Poland), and Dr. provide a revolutionary source of bioactive Ryszard Ochyra of the Botanical Institute compounds and natural antioxidants. It of the Polish Academy of Sciences at is interesting to note that in traditional Kraków. The contents of the prenillipids and medicine several lichen species were used photosynthetic pigments from these species for the treatment of several illnesses. We were analyzed at the Jagiellonian University should point out that our results are the first at Kraków. The contents of tocopherols α, to make known the contents of lipophilic γ and δ, the oxidized and reduced forms antioxidants and the composition of selected of plastochromanol, chlorophyll, and Antarctic lichens and mosses. In keeping carotenoids were determined through Caloplaca regalis with expectations there was a significant high performance liquid chromatography variation in relative concentrations of the (HPLC). Many of these species are powerful species analyzed although in significantly compositions of the analyzed species. antioxidants and neutralizers of ROS that smaller quantities when compared to the Although the observed increment of are generated by several types of oxidative mosses, with levels of between 0.89 μg/g α-tocopherols in the majority of these stress. in Caloplaca sp and 40 μg/g in Placopsis species may be associated with adaptation For the analysis of tocopherol and contortuplicata. Taking into account the to the prevailing unfavorable conditions in plastochromol, ten species of lichens content of tocochromanol calculated Antarctica, resulting from the production of and five species of mosses were used. per gram of dry weight, these quantities ROS and oxidative stress on cells, additional Three tocopherols were detected in the continue to be larger than those found in the laboratory and field studies are necessary mosses: the homologues α, γ and δ. The leaves of green plants, such as in Arabidopsis. for the confirmation and extension of these quantities encountered exceeded by 400 In contrast to the mosses, λ-tocopherol analyses. percent the tocopherol content of higher was only found in three of the lichens plants. Of particular interest were the studied, with -tocopherol found in none at high levels of α-tocopherol in Warnstrofia all. Although plastochromanol was present sarmentosa (88 μg/g of dry weight) and in two species (Usnea aurantiaco-atra and Syntricha magellanica (217μg/g). Evidently, Placopsis contortuplicata) its content was the high concentrations of tocopherol, very low. It is thus interesting to note that and in particular α-tocopherol, are the majority of the lichens analyzed had related to oxidative stress experienced by a large quantity of total plastoquinone Bryum pseudotriquetrum these mosses in the adverse conditions and that while in some species this was prevailing in Antarctica. In essence, it was found in its oxidized form, in others only The Secret History of the Chilean Forest

Over 160 years ago the English naturalist Joseph Dalton Hooker introduced the idea that the similarities of plants among the southern continents was evidence of a common origin for an ancient common land mass. Although it is virtually impossible to explain all the complexities of the distribution of Gondwanian plants on the basis of a single group, the genus Nothofagus has been considered one of the key genera of angiosperms for establishing the evolutionary and migratory patterns of the biota in the Southern Hemisphere. Nothofagaceae arrived or diversified on the Antarctic Peninsula during the Late Cretaceous period (about 80 million years ago), a time which would be associated with other constituent elements of the southern forests and remains of the extinct flora from the Cretaceous. However, the high degree of exclusivity of Antarctic flora during the Cretaceous doesn’t provide support, at least between 83 to 68 million years ago, to the existence of terrestrial connections between the two land masses, meaning that Nothofagus would have been confined to Antarctica. In South America, the Cretaceous record for this genus is scarce and limited only to pollen records. The recent discovery of leaf imprints associated with dinosaurs in Magallanes suggests the existence of land bridges 66 to 68 million years ago, which allowed the first case of a forest dominated by Nothofagus in South America, laying the foundation for the establishment of a temperate rainforest in the southern region of Chile, known as the Valdivian Forest.

Dr. Marcelo Leppe Cartes INACH

[email protected] P.RUIZ P.RUIZ 28 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science From left to right: Nano (ranch worker at Las Chinas, who had considerable knowledge of this region), Manfred Vogt (Masters candidate from the University of Heidelberg), Toshiro Jujihara (Chilean Monuments Council), and Marcelo Leppe (INACH). Photo taken at the beginning of a 15 km walk to the work site.

He was only 22 years old and the youngest member of the crews of the Erebus and the Terror, - British ships that undertook one of the last large naval exploration efforts (sailing from Tasmania in September of 1839). He could hardly have guessed at how those four years of sailing would affect his life and legacy. This young man was Joseph Dalton Hooker. Thanks to this voyage, whose destinations included Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego, Australia, Tasmania, and New Nothofagus: key or unsolved puzzle? Zealand, where he conducted extensive botanical collections, a tremendous body of work was produced as part of the then-bustling Historical biogeography is a branch of science that seeks British scientific industry in the middle of the 19th century. explanations for the contemporary distribution of organisms by Some of the results of this journey were published in a work of six means of phenomena that occur on geological time scales, based on volumes called The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage. In the second part geographic changes and the intrinsic variation of those organisms of this work, entitled Flora Novae Zealandiae (1853), he described due to evolution. Several lines of thought have influenced this area of 1767 plants and put forth the first recorded explanation of the science. For example, even today there are those who maintain that floristic similarities among continents of the southern hemisphere the existence of biogeographic corridors or long-distance dispersion that are now so far apart. more or less explain the nature of such distribution observed today. Hooker saw evidence in these disjointed patterns of a common Studies from the end of the twentieth century demonstrated the origin, in an ancestral land mass. In those times his controversial existence of long-distance plant dispersion, to oceanic locations as theories ran up against a number of detractors, including Darwin, remote as the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, where the flora is 64 % who maintained that this discontinuous distribution of related endemic and the islands are considered to be about 5 million years organisms in South America, Tasmania, Australia, and New Zealand old. Consequently, transoceanic dispersion is reasonably plausible, belonged to long-distance migratory patterns that began in the according to the example of the Juan Fernandez islands. Northern Hemisphere. By way of example, the genus Sophora includes leguminous trees After 160 years there have been many models that attempt to and shrubs on the islands and continental areas of Chile (including explain the contemporary distribution of flora from the Southern two endemic species on the Juan Fernandez Islands and one on Easter Hemisphere, based on geological and climatic vicariance, short- Island) . Ancestors of the species of genus Sophora in Chile would distance dispersion by means of shallow marine basins or island arcs, have originated in Oceania of South America and their seeds, due to or better still, migrations to the southern continents from the super- their salt tolerance, would have sailed thousands of kilometers before continent of the northern hemisphere, known as Laurasia. reaching the most isolated corners of the Pacific. Their distribution In spite of it being virtually impossible to explain all the pattern as of today is similar to some groups of Gondwanian plants. complexities of the distribution of Gondwanian plants as the Nevertheless, Sophora features a prehistoric record of less than 4 function of a single set, Nothofagus, a group of 36 species of tree and million years, and the Pacific islands which have a volcanic origin, bushes, has been considered one of the genera of key angiosperms such as Hawaii, Juan Fernandez, and Easter Island, are not older than to cast some light on the evolutionary and migratory patterns of 5 million years. These arguments tend to discount the Gondwanian the Southern Hemisphere biota. Nothofagus (Family Nothofagaceae origin of this group. Kuprian) make up ten species in Chile, which dominate the wooded All of this has brought about the need to look closely into the landscapes of the austral region of South America, commonly known origin and distribution of Nothofagus. There are a great number as oak, coihue, lenga, ñirre, raulí, ruil, and hualo. of phylogeneticists who support the theory of long-distance The term Nothofagus coined in 1850 by Carl Ludwig Blumey comes transoceanic dispersion, which after 160 years still challenges from the conjunction of two Latin words: "nothus" which means those who consider this genus to be the symbol of the patterns of "false" and "fagus" which literally refers to a Latinate form derived distribution inherited from the breakup of Gondwana. from the Greek φάγος, which means "foodstuff," a clear reference The fact is that for the most part, Nothofagus possesses to the fruit of beech trees. Blume used this generic term to refer to anemochoric seeds (spread by the wind) with a low capacity for these trees as "false beech" to contrast with the trees of the genus dispersion and a very short germination viability period. There are Fagus which comprise the forests of Europe. cases of zoochoria (seed transport by animals) in the case of large Nothofagaceae would have arrived or diversified on the Antarctic seeds, such as those of the hualoy ruil, which can be transported by Peninsula during the Lower Cambrian (about 80 million years ago) at rodents. These are seeds which are predominantly intolerant to sea- a time when there would have been other components of the current water and whose pollen grains are anemophillic (spread by wind) and southern forests, along with vestiges of extinct Cretacean flora. so their pollen can be dispersed over long distances. The discovery of Nothofagaceae pollen has resulted in an error in interpreting its existence within a geologic unit as evidence of its physical presence (as an actual plant population) in such a place, as is seen in Cretaceous records of Nothofagidites (at type of Nothofagus pollen) in South America. However, today, while the point closest to the Antarctic Peninsula that does currently have growing Nothofagus (Cape Horn) and Nothofagus pollen has been found in the South

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Shetland Islands, the use of pollen evidence Geowissenschaften (Institute of Applied to indicate actual growing populations Geosciences) from the University of is clearly debatable. For this reason, the Heidelberg, and the Chilean Monuments presence of pollen cannot be used to Council, working from the Las Chinas conclusively indicate physical growing river valley to the northern sector of the presence of a plant where only pollen is Chilean province of Ultima Esperanza. The found. discoveries included the first dinosaur The high degree of exclusivity of Antarctic fossil finds in the Magallanes region, and flora during the Cretaceous offers no support underlying these was a layer with a large (at least during the Lower Campanian– number of fossil plant imprints with at least Maastrichtian interval, approximately 68 ten angiosperm morphs and two different to 80 million years ago) to the existence types of Nothofagus. A sequencing analysis of terrestrial bridges between these of the pollen showed these to be from the land masses. The points of land between Upper Maastrichtian, correlating to the Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula are Monte Chico Formation or the Calafate considered critical for the genetic flow Formation in Argentine Patagonia. but none of plants and land animals, along with of the other formations reported Nothofagus ocean conditions, due to winds from the imprints. Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911) in a portrait by George Richmond, dated 1855. west. These climatic conditions, together As a result, toward the end of the with the mountainous terrain resulting Maastrichtian (66 million years ago) the from orographic precipitation, high CO Antarctic terrestrial elements are seen in Imprints of Nothofagus leaves from more than 66 million 2 years ago. levels and proximity to the volcanic arc, Patagonia, providing verification that during moderation of extreme temperatures and at least the last million years of the Upper rainfall distributed throughout the year, have Maastrichtian there were Nothofagus and brought about ideal conditions for the rapid several accompanying elements, including establishment and growth of a particular species of angiosperms, ferns, and conifers. type of forest. The set of vegetation found in the extreme The blend of elements originating in the south of the continent would mean first- Antarctic Peninsula with the remnants of time contact for 70 percent of the elements southern Patagonia could be considered in what is today known as the Valdivian the predecessor of the modern Patagonian Forest. Building upon this background, today forests. New arguments have recently we can postulate the existence of a land expanded the debate over the origins and bridge towards the end of the Maastrichtian, the persistence of this southern temperate which would mean the first arrival of the biota, above all the Valdivian forest and the flora that is dominated today by Nothofagus, mixed-forest eco-region on the west coast establishing the basis for the establishment of southernmost South America, primarily in of the flora we have today in the southern Chile and western Argentina. Several writers regions of South America. have indicated that the Valdivian forest is the More than 160 years and the publication closest equivalent to the forests of the Upper of a thousand or so scientific papers on the Cretaceous-Paleogene in Antarctica, but subject, the thesis first proposed by Joseph this hypothesis is based solely on a limited Dalton Hooker remains very much alive. number of taxa or locations. A recent campaign was conducted Acknowledgments: A special thanks to the personnel at Estancia Cerro Guido, to INACH, and to the by a group of researchers from the FONDECYT projects 11080223, DAAD-CONICYT 259- INACH Paleobiology Laboratory for 2010 and BMBFCHL 10A/09. Patagonia and Antarctica, the Institut für

30 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Glaciological studies at the Union Glacier and a new route to the Ellsworth subglacial lake Glaciological studies at the Union Glacier and a new route to the Ellsworth subglacial lake

During the austral summer of 2014 the Center for Scientific Studies (Centro de Estudios Científicos, CECs) undertook several expeditions to the Union Glacier (79º 46’ S / 83º 24’ W), in western Antarctica. These expeditions had the support of the "Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions" (ALE) company which maintains a summer camp near the local blue ice zone, where high-capacity cargo aircraft can land. These tours allowed studies in glaciology, geophysics, and geodetics, as well as permitting a search for new routes to locations Camoplast tractor B350 usted on the expedition. Inside the fiberglass module are the antennas for the radar used to of scientific interest. One of the surveys took measure ice thickness. The maximum thickness measured was place from the Union Glacier to the Antarctic 1600 meters (photo by Rodrigo Zamora). plateau, a distance of 160 km, for the purpose of finding a secure and more direct route to the region of the Ellsworth Subglacial Lake. The measurement work involved the use of radars and

GPS, which allowed the characterization of the Rodrigo Zamora1, José Uribe1, Andrés glacier's dynamics, snow accumulation, internal Rivera1-2 and Ricardo Jaña3 1 Center for Scientific Studies (Centro de ice structure, determination of the surface and Estudios Científicos, CECs), 2University of subglacial topography as well as identification of Chile and the 3Chilean Antarctic Institute. [email protected] the crevasse zones.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 31 ADVANCES IN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE

The blue-ice zones in Antarctica are between Patriot Hills and the Union Glacier, the discharge from the transmitter and the of considerable interest, and have been and the identification of crevasses near the detection of the same wave after being used particularly for logistical purposes, in new base camp, the CECs and ALE conducted reflected) it is possible to determine the addition to being the object of scientific three exploratory and scientific expeditions depth of the medium (the ice) in meters. research. One of these blue-ice zones is during the years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, Other interfaces capable of reflecting Patriot Hills (80 deg 18’ S / 81 deg 22’ W), 2010-2011 and 2014. Likewise INACH, electromagnetic energy are located with where small- to large-capacity cargo aircraft together with ALE conducted their latest the internal structure of the ice and can have been landing on the ice for more than campaign in 2011-2012. The measurements be associated with zones that exhibit 25 years. In recent years, Patriot Hills has included the speed of the ice, the subglacial changes in snow or ice, layers of volcanic become an area of great importance for topography, and mapping the crevasse zone ash, intraglacial moraine material, pockets support to long-range scientific expeditions for the purpose of identifying safe routes, of water, or crevasses. These anomalies can into the interior of Antarctica. There is along with determining a glaciological be represented as internal layers with spatial another blue-ice zone with similar or even baseline for this comparatively unknown continuity or bodies within the ice, often better characteristics, at Union Glacier (79 sector of Antarctica. associated with isochrons, or lines of equal deg 46’ S / 83 deg 24’ W). In 2008, the ALE In order to study the dynamics of the Union age, given that the generation of these areas company made the decision to move its base Glacier, measurements were taken from a took place in similar periods of time. The ice camp from Patriot Hills to the Union Glacier network of beacons and the use of twin- thickness measurements at the Union Glacier (about 150 km to the west) where they are frequency GPS receivers, allowing accuracy in were conducted using pulse compression now conducting all their aerial operations the decimeter level, and revealing velocities operating at a central frequency of 155 MHz. from the new runway on the blue-ice field, of between 18 and 25 meters per year. The internal stratiography measurements which offers operational advantages over the Thanks to the studies using these beacons called for a frequency-modulated site at Patriot Hills. and subsequent modeling, it was determined continuous-wave (FM-CW) radar of from For the planning of the secure route that the blue- ice zone is showing negative 500 to 900 MHz and for crevasse detection a mass balances, with average values of around pulse radar operating at 400 MHz was used. -0.1 meters per year in water equivalent. During the austral summer of 2005-2006 In order to characterize the subglacial the CECs in cooperation with ALE and the topography and to identify the crevasse Chilean Army conducted an overland survey zones, a radar method was employed to study the zone that included Patriot Hills which consisted of a transmitter that sent and the Ellsworth Subglacial Lake. The entire electromagnetic pulses into the interior survey took 15 days and ran approximately of the ice mass, followed by a receiver 900 km. The results of this expedition led detecting the eletromagnetic energy to characterizing the lake and mapping its reflected back from the depths of the perimeter. subglacial zone. By measuring the delay In December, 2010, CECs returned to time of the electromagnetic wave (between this area to conduct measurements at Glaciological studies at the Union Glacier and a new route to the Ellsworth subglacial lake

Pine Island glacier, about 40 km downstream from the Ellsworth Subglacial Lake. This expedition was also done in conjunction with ALE, which transported three researchers, equipment, and two snowmobiles to the study area in a Twin Otter aircraft. Using the experience gained from this expediton, ALE decided to conduct explorations toward the Antarctic plateau for the purpose of finding a safer and more direct route than that used in 2006, in order to access the Ellsworth Subglacial Lake and nearby area. Using the information derived from satellite images, it was decided to undertake a survey across the Schanz, Schnieder, and Balish glaciers, from there to reach the plateau. During the return the same route was followed as far as the Schanz Glacier and then it was decided to cross the Driscoll Glacier directly toward the ALE base camp. The ice thickness measurements permitted mapping of the subglacial topography all along the distance of more than 180 km, and allowed characterization of the rocky beds of cour glaciers. Ice thickness of up to 1600 meters was detected. The FM-CW radar between the Union Glacier and the plateau showed snow accumulations up to 70 meters deep (in the area of the base camp at Union Glacier measurements showed on the order of 30 meters). Several crevasse fields were detected along this section, which allowed ALE to develop secure routes in this region. The majority of the crevasses were found under snow bridges of from 0.5 to 2 meters thick, with the majority having widths of between 1 and 2 meters. These zones were found at the confluence of two or more glaciers, where the ice flows are at different velocities (also the thickness of the ice and the glaciar slopes may differ considerably) and this results in lateral tension and shearing, and crevasses. The results obtained so far have allowed the determination of a glaciological baseline for this zone, along with documenting of recent changes. The Union Glacier is assuming greater importance now that the Chilean government is planning to reinforce its presence in this area.

More information: “Ice dynamics of Union Glacier in the Ellsworth Mountains, West Antarctica”, Rivera et al., Annals of Glaciology, 2010. A. Rivera, R. Zamora, J. A. Uribe, R. Jaña, and J. Oberreuter. "Recent ice dynamic and surface mass balance of Union Glacier in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet," The Cryosphere, 8, 1445-1456, 2014. doi:10.5194/tc-8-1445-2014.

Figure 1. Antarctic Peninsula and western Antarctic (upper left). Locaton of the Union Glacier basin (light grey), crevasse fields (red) and coastline (dotten blue line – lower left). Location of the ALE base camp at the Union Glacier and the blue-ice runway (purple line) (right).

Figure 2 (Upper image). Glaciological measurements at the Union, Schanz, 2 Schneider, Balish, and Driscoll glaciers. The route begins at the blue ice landing strip at the Union Glacier and runs to the high Antarctic plateau. The round-trip distance is 180 km. The letters A, B, C, and D in the lower figure show the plotting of the surface and subglacial topograpy for the route that was explored. 3

Figure 3. Crevasse below a bridge, with snow 8 meters high and 9 meters wide. 1 The vertical walls produce the hyperbolic refraction that can be seen.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 33 ANTARCTIC HISTORY C.CVITANIC INACH: Boosting Chilean National Antarctic Science for 50 Years This year marks five decades since the creation of the Chilean Antarctic Institute, an offshoot of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the purpose of promoting Chilean polar science and becoming a technical body capable of offering a knowledgeable voice to cover a topic as complex as the Antarctic. In those fifty years science has evolved through many stages, and those changes are reviewed in this article through the testimony of its key participants.

Elías Barticevic* INACH [email protected]

The Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) was created in 1963 "which was very small and of little international significance." with the objective of meeting new challenges and obligations After the Chilean participation at the 1962 Antarctic Treaty that the country assumed after signing the Antarctic Treaty. Consultative Meeting, the first thoughts were given to the This political decision resulted in a paradigm change in the creation of an Antarctic institute with its own autonomous projection of the country toward the southern end of the earth, technical management. The following year the original proposal converting its scientific endeavors into the "point of the spear" was reworked and presented to the legislature by the Foreign for exploration into this territory. The task was not without Affairs minister, Carlos Martínez Sotomayor, and later that year, difficulties, for both INACH and the Chilean national science on the tenth of October, INACH was founded under national law effort. number 15266. The inauguration was held on May 29, 1964 in Chile attended the first advisory meetings, but without the Hall of Honor at the University of Chile. extensive participation. The ex-director of INACH, ambassador Óscar Pinochet de la Barra, chief at that time of the government The first expeditions ministry section for Antarctica and Easter Island, indicated early Alexander Forch, head of the Technical Department at the new on about the need to fortify the country's scientific development, organization, described the situation in these words: "Until the

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 35 Professor Anelio Aguayo

commissioning of the Institute, one or two project to catalogue "what was" in the researchers with interest in Antarctica ecosystem, according to professor Anelio might have been able to get the Navy to Aguayo (now 80), who participated in fit them in to some of their assignments. INACH's second expedition of 1965-1966, These scientists acted on their own and together with the student Daniel Torres, the results depended on the opportunities both part of the marine mammal study available through the Antarctic Working group from the University of Chile. Group and the good will of our Navy There is a story about the trip made personnel." by ambassador Enrique Villarroel and Up until that time, Chilean polar General Ramón Cañas Montalva, to science had been under the leadership ask the Montemar Laboratory at the of the University of Chile. Then in 1964 University of Chile to prepare a registry the Science Department at INACH came of the species on the Antarctic Peninsula, into operation and organized the first to be presented at the Fourth Advisory Antarctic Scientific Expedition (1964- Meeting, to take place in Chile in 1966. 1965). Among those pioneers were "During the third meeting, Chile had the researchers Braulio Araya, Waldo proposed a section of the discussion on Aravena, René Covarrubias, Roberto the preservation of Antarctic flora and Araya, Francisco Hervé, Hugo Villarroel fauna, but upon their return to Santiago, and Milton Quiroga, from the University they realized that they knew nothing of of Chile; together with Hugo Moyano, the matter. There were only observations Dr. Francisco a professor from the University of of Dr. Parmenio Yáñez and Dr. Guillermo Hervé Concepción; the meteorologists Mario Mann. We left Valparaíso,” said Aguayo. Arriagada and Ángel Concha of the One of the principal participants Chilean Meteorological Service; and in the first expeditions was professor Myrus Garthof, from the Chilean Air Hugo Moyano, now 74, who is proud Force. of being one of the few who continued Dr. Francisco Hervé, 70, has been to a professorship on Antarctica at the Antarctica eight times and is still very University of Concepción. He was a much attached to polar geology. His pioneer in the study of bryozoans in Chile. first trip was for three months with his He spent three months sailing with the associate Roberto Araya. Stories are told Chilean Navy. "Most of us had no sailing of how different the logistics were in those experience. We made things up as we days. At Prat Station there were dogs went along. Zero planning. We had great for the sleds. To feed them, seals were help from the Navy crew. We went on to hunted. "At that station there was a huge visit all the bases, even as far as crossing warehouse full of chickens, sheep, and the Antarctic Circle. In Marguerite Bay pigs, so we had food for the year and we we discovered a new species of bryozoans. ate fantastically well. One night we heard We were really lucky," explained Moyano. a ruckus in the warehouse. The dogs had In 1978 the Antarctic Policy Council was gotten out of their sleds and killed all the created, and the following year INACH animals, including the smaller pigs. The was tasked with organizing and directing large sow was saved since the dogs could expeditions, undertaking scientific not get the best of her. They went without research work, and maintaining its own food for the winter. In those days sleds bases in Antarctica. All of this gave an were used to transfer cargo from the ship added boost to polar research. Professor to the station and for other outings, since Dr. Víctor Ariel Gallardo, now 78, went to Hugo Moyano there were no motorized vehicles there at Antarctica for the first time during the 1967- all. " 68 season, and remembers," in those days During the 1960s and 1970s, INACH there was very little funding. INACH paid supported from six to twelve scientific for the trip, some equipment, and nothing initiatives every season. Many of those else. For me I was interested in the behavior involved long-term monitoring. A good of bottom-dwelling Antarctic marine life. I example would be geological projects. wanted to know if that life had diversified. I During the first 30 years, there was a installed an aquarium on board the ship. We Dr. Víctor Ariel Gallardo

Dr. Aurelio San Martín

were pioneers." "Profesor Julio Escudero" in 1995, and the agreements with CONICYT and For Gallardo, one of the most the "Antonio Huneeus" station at Patriot its principal programs, along with noteworthy aspects of those days was Hills in 1999. international cooperation, and the the work of the International Scientific At the end of 1992 the national arrival of CORFO's InovaChile and Committee, recognizing the problems Antarctic scientific and technological resources from the regional government that would come in the future, such as research competition was created, but of Magallanes. This has allowed a fivefold contamination, exploitation of resources, the majority of the scientific activity was increase in the number of Antarctic and global changes, among others. kept in institutional arrangements and science projects in the last ten years. "We were concerned about creating monitoring projects. In the years 1995 and During the 2013-2014 season, INACH international policy bodies which now 2001, 15-year research plans were drawn supported 71 projects, of which 51 were govern the administration of Antarctica, " up. Foremost among these were studies in field studies. This means that 152 Chilean said Gallardo, with a hint of satisfaction. telemedicine, work in paleoflora, cetacean researchers, and more than 350 persons During the 1980s, science continued ecology, fur seal study, glaciology, tasks altogether, were transported to our main to be oriented toward the discovery and in space and atmospheric science, and bases and remote stations. assessment of the existing resources on research in historical archaeology. INACH has consolidated six lines of the continent and in the Southern Ocean. Together with this scientific research and for Dr. Retamales the most There were multinational projects such as development, there were always key important part of this stage is that INACH the Biological Investigations Of Marine figures in the area of diplomacy, such as is understood to be an integral part of the Antarctic Systems and Stocks (BIOMASS) Óscar Pinochet de la Barra ("he is the Chilean national science and technology which promoted three Antarctic cruises great architect of this work," according system. (1981, 1984, and 1985). to many researchers). Then came Jorge "This would not have been achieved One researcher, Dr. Aurelio San Berguño and Fernando Zegers, but without the national scientific community Martín (66), has forgotten the number especially Berguño, as a distinguished and those pioneering researchers who, of times he has gone to Antarctica. polar historian. He was the government in spite of difficulties, contributed to A pharmaceutical chemist from the personality with the greatest influence uncovering what Nature has hidden on University of Chile, he is dedicated to the in international Antarctic politics, which the Last Continent," explains the INACH study of the organic chemistry of natural resulted in Chile becoming an important director. Names such as Anelio Aguayo, products. His first Antarctic trip was in player in the Antarctic Treaty System. Tarsicio Antezana, Jorge Carrasco, Gino 1983-84. In 2013 he was working in the As put in context by the current INACH Casassa, Luis Corcuera, Enrique Cordaro, Fildes Bay area. "Every time I go, I say it director Dr. Retamales, "INACH itself is Wladimir Covacevich, Alberto Foppiano, will be the last trip," he insists. the legacy of Berguño's influence." Víctor Ariel Gallardo, Óscar González Since his first experiences in polar Ferrán, Carlos Guerra, Francisco Hervé, research, San Martín points out the The move to Punta Arenas Cedomir Marangunic, Carlos Moreno, Antarctic spirit of cooperation. He says The recent history of INACH had an Hugo Moyano, Armando Mujica, Mario that "[previously] everyone participated important milestone in 2003 with the Palestini, Margarita Préndez, Wanda in all the tasks. Today that has changed. transfer of its national headquarters Quilhot, Aurelio San Martín, Roberto Everyone wants to go to Escudero and to Punta Arenas. According to the Schlatter, Rubén Stehberg, Daniel Torres, the facilities have caused this spirit to current director of the institute, Dr. José Teresa Torres, José Valencia and Gustavo change." Retamales, the work revolves around Zúñiga, among others, "have a special San Martín thinks that 20 or 30 years three axes: improving the quality of place in the international polar history." ago "we were looked upon as pretty Chilean Antarctic science; strengthening strange fellows" and that today there are the condition of the Antarctic region; and more opportunities and interest. "We developing social capital on a national * The author thanks the gracious used to be science workers. Back then level that considers the Frozen Continent assistance of researcher Rosamaría Solar it was more romantic, there were more through cultural and educational and journalist Cecilia Saavedra (from sacrifices and greater effort," concluded activities. the program Explora-Bio Bio, of the San Martín. Within this context it was decided University of Concepción). to include peer evaluation - and Escudero Station particularly international peers - in The ten years between 1990 and the system of competition for projects. 2000 were characterized by an effort In 2004 available funding included 47 to modernize the infrastructure and to million pesos available for transfer to conduct research in the interior of the universities, and today that has risen to continent. The milestones included the nearly 1.5 billion pesos (approximately first construction of the station called US$3 million). This is thanks to

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 37 A NEW TOURISM AND NATIONAL HERITAGE GUIDEBOOK FROM INACH

In commemoration of the first 50 years of its existence, the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH) published a tourism and national heritage guidebook with 50 sites around Punta Arenas and the Straits of Magellan that are linked to the great Antarctic explorers. These include people such as James Weddell, Jules Dumont D’Urville, Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Chilean steam-tug captain Luis Pardo, and Richard Byrd, who visited Patagonia during their voyages of discovery – and survival – amidst the ice. The circuit is presented in a 64-page publication, inviting you to explore the heritage and polar identity of Punta Arenas in its public spaces, monuments, buildings, museums and libraries that safeguard the memory of Chile in Antarctica and its proximity to the last true epics of Western exploration. The guidebook also includes information about local artists, services and products that bear the imprimatur of Antarctica. It also includes selected bays, islands and protected areas of the Magellanic coastline, which include historical, geological and biological evidence connecting the tip of South America to the Last Continent. This guide is published in English and Spanish versions and can be downloaded for free at http://www.inach.cl/circuitoantartico/

Rosamaría Solar Robertson INACH [email protected]

38 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science INACH celebrates 50 years of service Navy steam-tug Yelcho, commanded by to the nation and to science, promoting Luis Pardo as “pilot”, towed the Emma on exploration, polar research, and education. part of the trip. Days earlier, a large crowd And while getting to the White Continent had cheered at the Municipal Theater (site itself can be an insurmountable challenge 17) after the presentation by the Reverend for many, this Antarctic tour guide to Punta Joseph Cater, pastor of St. James’ Anglican Arenas and the Straits of Magellan will be Church (site 19) and an old friend of a valuable tool for residents and visitors Shackleton. Adjacent to the church, The to the region, allowing them to discover British School has a room where the guest the rich cultural and natural heritage of book of the old British Club is displayed, southern Patagonia. The guidebook began with the signatures of Shackleton, Worsley as a work of heritage recovery led by the late and Crean, introduced to the club by the Ambassador Jorge Berguño, who identified consul Charles Milward, owner of a quirky eight Antarctic sites in the city of Punta chalet (site 20), that is part church and part Arenas. Later this was expanded to include castle, where Shackleton stayed in those 23 sites and finalized with 50 following the hectic days. careful research conducted by Rosamaría The city commemorates this Antarctic Solar between August 2012 and March expedition with a couple of private 2013. initiatives. One is the Nao Victoria museum The sources used to reconstruct the (site 33), with an exact replica of the “James polar circuit were many and varied: there Caird,” the whaleboat in which “The Boss” were diaries, travel journals, literature, and five of his men went for help from private collections, press archives, scientific Elephant Island to South Georgia. The publications and certain traces of “Antarctic other is the José Nogueira Hotel, where memory” hidden away in the regional the Shackleton Bar (site 16) is decorated capital itself. These fragments came with watercolors of Harley Benavente that together in a 64-page publication, divided depict the adventures of the Imperial Trans- into three circuits: two in Punta Arenas and Antarctic Expedition. one along the Straits of Magellan. As architect of the rescue of the British, In the center of the city, the route takes the pilot Pardo is also remembered at two the visitor to 26 sites that link assets points of the Magellanic capital. The Naval connected to Antarctic scientific expeditions and Maritime Museum (site 8) displays since the late nineteenth century. The his portrait, sword, and medals. At a route comprises the harbor, waterfront, nearby location, a waterfront mural (site historic buildings, public spaces, museums, 24) depicts a port scene that includes the libraries, monuments and older residences, little Yelcho. The Shackleton and Pardo as well as information about artists, local tour also includes the port (site 1), the services and products that offer links to First Firefighter Company (site 10), the Antarctica. From the north of the Punta Government Palace (site 13), the Croatian Arenas area southward to the town of Río Club (site 15), the Equestrian Club (site 30), Seco, one half-day circuit can be done on the so-called Shackleton dock in Rio Seco foot, by bike, by car or public transport, (site 34), and the location of the former to visit eight historically significant sites, Royal Hotel (site 23) and former Charity including the municipal cemetery and other Hospital (site 27). The latter is where public spaces such as museums, piers and Blackborow Perce, the young stowaway docks. on the Endurance, was hospitalized until Following the locations shown around the November 1916. city, one of the principal stories covered in Before Shackleton, in July 1904, another the guidebook concerns the rescue of the famous British explorer had anchored 22 castaways from the the ship Endurance, in Punta Arenas after sailing from the conducted by Pilot Luis Pardo aboard the Last Continent: Robert Falcon Scott, who Chilean Navy stem-tug “Yelcho.” In Punta along with Edward Wilson, Frank Wild, Arenas, more than a dozen locations bring Tom Crean and 44 other crew members to life many of moments of the desperate of the Discovery, and walked through the attempts by Sir Ernest Shackleton to save streets on a snowy winter day. Besides his men, and the many celebrations that the obligatory visit to consul Milward and took place later in the city. The British the British Club, some members of the Association of Magallanes, better known expedition went to see the Cathedral (site then as the “British Club” was located at site 14), delicately described earlier by Edward 9. Currently housing the Bank of Chile, this Adrian Wilson, Scott’s companion even was Shackleton’s headquarters between July in death. Wilson had died during that and September 1916. With assistance from fateful march back from the South Pole in the British Club, Shackleton, Frank Worsley, March, 1912. The survivors mailed more and Tom Crean sailed on the schooner than 400 letters to England from the old Emma, heading for the South Shetlands Punta Arenas post office (site 12) which is on the third rescue attempt. The Chilean coincidentally adjacent to the present site

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 39 explorer “Perito” Moreno, while collecting Patagonian channels that preceded the plant and animal specimens from Point founding of Punta Arenas. Among these was Santa Ana (site 45) to the Payne river. the second whaling expedition by James The first fire-station company (site 10) Weddell, to the South Shetland Islands hosted the official reception of the Belgian (1822-1824), allowing him to explore the Antarctic Expedition, and their facilities sea that was later named after him (Weddell were placed entirely at the disposal of that reached the then-record latitude of 74 expedition. Some of them, dividing their degrees south). Then came expedition of time among other social commitments, French sailor and botanist Jules Dumont explored around the city's "River of D'Urville, which remained in the Straits the Mines" (site 40), where they found between December 1837 and January prospectors, coal mines, and geological 1838 while performing hydrographic, outcroppings with mixed terrestrial and cartographic, geological and botanical marine layers. There in the valley, together studies, and meeting with the indigenous with four local settlers, they set a fire Tehuelches and Kawésqar. Later still was and prepared an outdoor barbecue - "the the Challenger expedition, which crossed best possible mutton" according to Roald the Antarctic Circle and laid the foundations Amundsen. of modern oceanography, conducting Besides Shackleton, there were many one of South America's first stratigraphic others. Scott, Charcot, Amundsen and excavations, on Isabel Island (site 38). Gerlache's "golden crew," the "wise Swede" The areas selected for this guidebook Otto Nordenskjöld, itinerant botanist Carl also provide the possibilities for sighting Skottsberg, the charismatic Admiral Richard wildlife found in Antarctica, like southern Byrd, Australian aviator and ornithologist right whales (Eubalaena australis) around Sir Hubert Wilkins. All of them crossed Point Dungeness (site 35), killer whales the icy waters of the Straits and visited (Orcinus orca), fin whales (Balaenoptera of INACH (site 11). Early in the twentieth Punta Arenas. Together with them were the borealis) and dwarf minkes (Balaenoptera century the INACH building had been valiant and visionary people of Magallanes. acutorostrata), species whose strandings the residence of John Blanchard, the The steam-tug captain Luis Pardo, captain were cause for celebration for the French Consul, director of the Magallanes and consul Charles Milward, and powerful indigenous Selknam people of Tierra Whaling Society, and mainstay of the businessmen in the whaling industry such del Fuego (site 41). Within Admiralty second Antarctic Expedition (1908 -10) of as Adolfo Andresen and Mauricio Braun. Sound(site 42) is the only breeding colony the French bacteriologist Jean-Baptiste They brought the world to this remote in Chile of elephant seals (Mirounga Charcot. southern city at the doorstep of Antarctica. leonina). Pinnipeds can be sighted in Scott and Shackleton, together with the Today, with this guidebook, you can see and the Parry fjord, where 10 leopard seals Norwegian Roald Amundsen, make up feel the rich history and heritage in these (Hydrurga leptonyx) live on floating ice, the three great men of the heroic age of intriguing places around Punta Arenas. comprising the only continental group Antarctic exploration (1897-1922). Each Other names stand out: General Ramón of this species in the world. In front of visited the Magallanes region during Cañas Montalva, a multifaceted military Maria Cove, on Albatross Island, there their days to and from the icy continent, man and tenacious advocate of a national is a reproducing colony of black-browed in what became the last epics of Western Antarctic policy, a man whose actions albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys). exploration. prompted President Pedro Aguirre Francisco Coloane Marine Park (site 49), Amundsen, conqueror of the South Pole, Cerda to establish the boundaries of the in the west wing of the main channel, was in Punta Arenas in 1897 and 1899 Chilean Antarctic Territory, in 1940. becomes the feeding area every summer for during the two landfalls of the Belgian Cañas Montalva lived for many years in a more than one hundred humpback whales Antarctic Expedition, which was the first house in Punta Arenas that is part of the (Megaptera novaeangliae). Along this route to winter over on the White Continent. Antarctic circuit (site 26). Cañas was also there are also landforms and fossils of The Antarctic tour circuit around Punta instrumental in restoration of the historic both terrestrial and marine organisms that Arenas and the Straits of Magellan includes Fuerte Bulnes (Bulnes Fort) at Santa Ana illustrate the connection between the end several items related to this remarkable Point (site 45) along with other parks in the of South America and the Last Continent. polar character, along with others, such as region and a Military Historical Museum These fossils are under research at the the Romanian naturalist Emil Racovitza, (site 22) which features a meeting hall in his INACH "Jorge Berguño Barnes" Antarctic considered the founder of speleology, or honor. General Cañas sponsored the official Laboratory Building (site 3). “caving.” Then there were otheres, including acts for the founding of the first two Chilean The Punta Arenas and Straits of Magellan the controversial North American surgeon bases on the White Continent, and between Antarctic circuit is, unquestionably, an Frederick Cook, and Henryk Arctowski, the 1947 and 1948 he coordinated the first essential tour of the urban heritage of Punta Polish oceanographer and geophysist, along official Chilean expedition to Antarctica, Arenas, which is rich with the memory with Adrien de Gerlache, commander of that along with the historic visit by President of great Antarctic expeditions and their international team of outstanding young Gabriel González Videla. connections to people and places in this city. scientists and polar explorers, who were Outside the city, there are 16 sites Likewise, a trip along the Strait will provide amazed to see the cosmopolitan nature of distributed along the Straits of Magellan, a visitor with insights into the historical, the small city of Punta Arenas, with its spirit from the eastern entry point at Dungeness biological and geological connections of freedom and bustling trade. Racovitza Point on the Atlantic Ocean, to Santa between this magnificent southern region had arrived ahead of his group and was Ines Island in the Western arm of the and the Last Continent. staying at the Hotel de France (site 7), Straits. These places offer testimony to after 20 days of riding the pampa with the the Antarctic-bound voyages through the

40 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science INTERVIEWS F.TRUEBA/EFE 42 ilaia /Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Jerónimo López, SCAR president place inSeoul,SouthKorea. Meeting oftheCouncilManagersNationalAntarcticPrograms(COMNAP)whichtook to speakwithDr.LópezaboutthisimportantscientificorganizationduringtheXXVAnnual of ExternalGeodynamicsattheUniversidadAutónomainMadrid).Wehadopportunity is theSpanishgeologistJerónimoLópezMartínez(aPhDinGeologicalSciencesandprofessor of thisinternationalorganizationanditsmorethan50yearsexistence.AttheheadSCAR award fromthePrinceAlbertIIofMonacoFoundation,arecognitionthatreflectsimpact will helpSCAR toincreaseits visibilityandreach. of challenge its members.Thisisan important inwhichweareworking andonewhich contributions also believe fornewtojoinSCAR. that countries thereareopportunities activities thatits membersandhelpingtoreinforce they thecoordination conduct.I of thescientific tremendousdiversity. unions,whichconstitutes Iwould liketoseeSCARbeinguseful scientific that thisisagreat treasure.Today inaddition SCARincludes tonineinternational 37 countries also differences inthecultures ofourorganization, andIbelieve that thecommunities comprise make upSCAR.Therearedifferences intheirAntarctic programs, ineconomicinvestmentand and that SCARexpandsits reach. Iamaware that countries of thedifferent invarious realities community increasinginnumber and,above all, improving inter-relationships andpartnerships, andreinforcing tocontinuing thiscourse.Iwould liketoseetheSCAR I hopetocontribute the relationship betweenSCARandCOMNAP. of theATS should beflexibleandcollaborative, promoting synergy, taking therolethat emphasizes Antarctic Treaty System other andwith international bodies. theother Therelationships with bodies matters the within Antarctica, whileat developing thesametime its roleasadvisor inscientific research beingdonein topromotemust continue quality andcoordination thescientific within that that it andeven isimportant SCARmaintainsits prestige increasesit if that ispossible.It community. thescientific within about advances intheconnections satellites. landbasesandfrom from Also,environments, amongstother things,theIPY brought objectives andontheother, andterrestrial networksinboth animprovement marine inobservation coordinated researchnew scientific (www.ipy.org).Ontheonehandthishasresulted inidentifying International PolarYear2007-2008,whichwas anextraordinaryinvolving internationally effort and physical Itwas sciences. logical toseeanevolution of theprojectsaftercelebration of the inaway life sciences, sciences, earth that participation from allowsinterdisciplinary contributions circumstances andobjectives.Theseprojectsextend over range of awide subjectsandprovide for moves forward. Insomecasesweseeanevolution of earlierprojectswhicharethenadapted tonew to gettogetherat wherethedevelopment theSCARcongressesandmeetings of the proposals research Scan]. inAntarcticaHorizon [theSCARScience futureguidance for midterm revisions. Thereisalsoaninitiative underway whichwill helpidentify got six intheyear2004.Theseareprojectsthat toeightyears,with started lastfrom after thefirst linesof research projects.Theseprojectsmakeuptheprincipal at SCAR, generation of scientific previous new yearsandwith structureinplace, SCARhasfoundits pace asecond in2013with A N I - Canales einer R Q: What are the main challenges for you as SC Q: How are these new projects put together? now? Q: What are the principal changes that SC activity" tremendous in aperiodof "SCAR isinvolved Last yeartheScientificCommitteeonAntarcticResearch(SCAR)receivedaprestigious In order for SCAR to bring abouteffectiveworkit needseconomicmeansbeyondIn order forSCARtobring theannual of mypresidency thetime SCAR hasmade great inrecentyears,andduring progress,particularly JL: Firstof all, Iwould liketosay that formeit isagreat honor tobepresidentof SCAR.Ibelieve several have from countries theopportunity orworkshops,andscientists JL: Therearemeetings ofJerónimo López(JL):SCARisinvolved tremendousactivity. inaperiod After thechangesin CH

AR is taking forward right AR president?

R.CANALES R.CANALES A “W ” changes for of world rest the the importance has happens there Heinz Miller, COMNAP President and scientists. and scientists. andwhenIsayout thescience, resources that that isshiptime, isaircraft andthat time, ispeople jointly aboutways how tobestand mosteffectively putintheresources that wejointly have tocarry andthenwecan questions is alongthat line,becauseheregettogetherlookat themajorscientific tohavethe science thebesteffect. area andbecauseitthat issohuge.Soit isimportant wethinkcarefully abouthow out tojointly carry Antarctic region, whereonly fairly areabletowork,becauseof few theremoteness scientists of the through international collaboration wecanachieve moreintotal. Andthat isspecially trueforthe COMNAP AnnualMeetingwasheldlastyearinSeoul,SouthKorea. Southern Ocean:Advancingourunderstandingthroughcollaboration"thedaybeforeXXV elected presidentofCOMNAP.Wetalkedtohimduringtheworkshop"SOOSObservingSystem to theCouncilofManagersNationalAntarcticPrograms(COMNAP).Twoyearsagohewas have animpact ontheglobalevolution of climate, ecosystemsandother things. inoursystem,andwhatever theArctictogether with aretherefrigerators happenstherewill fortherestofhas importance theworld changes.Weshould never forgetthat theAntarctic research of becausewhatever theEarth, isweneedtounderstandthisportion happensthere be amajorfutureresearch item. shelves systemsandtheinteraction betweeniceshelves andtheoceanunderneath it. That will in to,becauseof expectfuturedevelopments, liketheinterestinresearch ice connectedwith todoso.On theotherdone andwewill continuo hand,therearenew areasthat wewill look rapidlywhich arewarming andwhichneedcloseattention forresearch, very andthat hasbeen years agowehave seensaw, forinstance,that thereareareasaroundtheAntarctic Peninsula Q: working alongthoselines. overarching mytermaschairmanof goalof COMNAPI’ll COMNAP. Ithinkduring beintensively forothers that toalsousethefacilities opportunities wehave. other thingisforCOMNAPthat weexchange ourplans,thecruise plansof theships,andweopen tolookathad inpastthreeyearsandwill continue that moreclosely, butthat's justanexample. The normal useof fossilfuelstoheat thebases.That technologyadvance isanimportant that wehave powertechnologies forusingwind intheAntarctic basesandhow effectively dothat jointly the with exchange theknowledge abouttechnologyandnew technologies that areevolving, forinstance, mosteffectively, science outourtasksinsupporting organization tocarry COMNAPwe ansowithin of COMNAP actually forCOMNAPisthatHM: Thepriority wehave isthesame.Thetoppriority this Q: international cooperation to address the major issues of Q: INACH - Canales Reiner president? science. Have you changed your view on this topic, now as C It's very exciting. There are new findings every year, every exciting. TherearenewIt's very findings butthegeneral ideaof Antarctic Of course,welookat thechanging ecosystemintheoceanandonland. hasn’t reallyyears Antarctic horizon science the last five changed. We HM: alreadyDuring five System SouthernOcean"that For instance,thisworkshop"SOOSObserving wearehaving here, Heinz Miller (HM):Not really. always Imean,thevision remainsthesame,becauseweknow that Heinrich "Heinz"MillerisgeophysicistandrepresentativeoftheAlfredWegenerInstitute The main goal is for COMNAP to work most effectively in supporting science andthat science isthe The maingoalisforCOMNAPtoworkmosteffectively insupporting ntarctic How has changed the Which are the priorities of C We talked five years ago in Saint Petersburg on the need for the understand to e need , because whatever A ntarctic science horizon in the last five years? O MN A P under your term?

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science A ntarctic O MN A P /ilaia 43 44 there were five yearsago. there werefive community isgrowing. Therearenow what PROCIEN,morethanthreetimes 72projectsassociated with projects.TheChileanAntarctic scientific and seven openandtransparent contestsforfinancing work." Antarctic scientific our country's to Punta Arenas),henotes that INACH a"sustainedprocessof endeavors changestoimprove toperform ofCelebrating (andadecade the50-yearanniversary theInstitute sincemoving its national headquarters amongtheeightdirectors that INACH scientist hashad. Joinville islands.Dr.Retamaleswas thefirst walls adorned several with Patriot of mapsof from hisoffice, theWhite Continent, Hills toElephantand saying, knows "Everyone how Chileworksandwhat needstobedonecollaborate our country." with program." Dr.Retamalesconcluded by provides ampleinformation inEnglishandSpanishonits scientific involved," saysand thenumberof projects andscientists Retamales.At all INACH international meetings "Theseyearshave forthecountry,Institute. beenspecial given inresources, thegrowth logistics, curves forcollaboration opportunities andfunding. toshareinformation andidentify Union, andLatin America, theUnitedand INACH States, from organizedaworkshopinPunta theEuropean experts Arenaswith apresenceinAntarctica. with other Toreinforce countries thisobjective,inNovember 2013,CONICYT required bytheproject." thelogistics researchers will finance working inthegroup,thenourcountry currently have isfunding CONICYT.Thismeansthat aproposalthat with if incorporates acountry Chilean working other relationships with Antarctic programs tobuild replicating themodelthat partnerships, we Wearenow atop-downcounterpart. implementing strategy, throughwhichINACH managementform Through thisbottom-up strategy theChileanresearchers aforeign with are encouraged topartner that proposedprojectshave abetterchanceofif they winning demonstrate international cooperation. forfunding includes thefactor since2006ourcompetition developed twomainstrategies. Inthefirst, moreforeignersinAntarcticemphasizedRetamales."Inthisregard,can networkwith wehave science" international collaboration. "What wedoisencourage international collaboration sothat moreChileans inthefield." opportunities This hasincreasedthenumberof stations whereresearchers canwork,andthisexpandsresearch Navy researchers onvesselsprovided helicopterplatforms fortransporting with toseveral workplaces. at Escudero,Cape Shirreff, O'Higgins, Yelcho andPrat theChilean with Stations; Organizingexpeditions Luis station at Carvajal thesouthernendof Adelaide Island. work."Thisalsoexplainsthereasonstoreactivate theTeniente open upnew locations forourscientific challenge? According totheINACH authority, activities "wewantthat toexpand,with tocontinue will station.Glacier The (80°latitude South),Chilecurrently operates transfer operations forascientific Antarctic projects." grown asmorefunding ismade available, resulting inmoreresearchers beinginterestedinworking toworkall year,continue workhas andnot justwhilethey areinAntarctica. Interestindoingscientific whiletheother transfer thelogistics resources agencies sothatwhere INACH researchers finances can role. Dr.Retamales:"What wedid was approachCONICYTprograms andproposepartnerships various yTecnológica deChile)playsResearch akey (CONICYT-ComisiónNacionalCientífica deInvestigación andTechnological Inthat respect,theChileanNational AgencyforScientific national institutions. with Dr. José Retamales, INACH Director INACH - Gallardo Jorge A O More resources for science offoreigners field the in A C collaboration more so that "W Currently, ChilehasarobustNational AntarcticProgram Science six (PROCIEN)with linesof research The lasttenyearsof JoséRetamales'life have revolved aroundAntarctica. Thisisreflectedonthe To maintainthepace of development seeninrecentyears,thereareagreat numberof tasksforthe ofIn thissense,Dr.Retamalesstressestheimportance understanding theissuesthat areof interestto Dr.Retamales'administration,During INACH several hasundertaken actions tofostergreater "We have madeprogressintheareaof Building important infrastructure. new spaces andlaboratories At about2,300kmsouthof Punta Arenasand1080kmof theSouthPole,inareaof theUnion For therapid growth of thisprogram, toattract it hasbeenimportant new funding throughpartnerships ntarctica: a window on the world pening new horizons for science more network with can hileans ilaia /Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science e encourage international " A ntarctic science ntarctic

F. TRUEBA/EFE FOCH/MARENSEPIA ANTARCTIC PROGRAM SCIENCE CHILEAN CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE PROGRAM

V.4 Microorganisms synthesizers of nanoparticles V.6 Resistance genes in waste FINANCING SOURCES waters V.7 Microbes with methanogenic 1 INACH FIELD PROJECTS Overview activity 2 INACH LAB PROJECTS V.8 Biotechnological potential of 3 INACH THESIS SUPPORT actinobacteria 4 INACH SPECIAL PROJECTS CHILEAN V.9 Gram+ bacteria and macroalgae 5 PIA-INACH V.10 Yeast in terrestial habitats 6 CORFO-INNOVACHILE ANTARCTIC SCIENCE V.11 Lychen polyphenols 7 FONDECYT-INACH V.12 Antifreeze proteins of 8 CONICYT INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED microorganisms HUMAN CAPITAL V.13 Evolutionary adaptations in 9 FONDEF-INACH

Nacella 10 INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION II.8 Diazopolarsea II.9 Biological soil crusts V.14 Biotechnological II.13 Campylobacter in Antarctica metabolites in yeast II.14 Viruses and pathogenic V.15 Antarctic thermophilic lipases bacteria III.9 Biological V.16 Proteomics and II.15 Historical and recent wheatering in soils metabolomics in Deschampsia colonizers III.12 Para-ICE V.17 Phychrophilic bacteria of I.3 Diversity of meiofauna III.13 Aerosols and chemical Deschampsia phyllosphere I.4 Diversity of macroalgae II.16 Characterization of footprint in plateau Laclavère V.18 Antimicrobial activity of I.7 Photobionts of genus Deschampsia Pseudomonas Caloplaca III.6 Greenhouse gases in V.19 Tellurium nanostructures I.8 Biophysical research of II.1 Overall impact on Bransfield strait in bacteria ichthyoplankton macroalgae V.20 Tellurium resistance I.9 Evolution history of II.2 Ecophysiology of Antarctic III.7 Meteorological in bacteria Colobanthus plants observations V.21 Microorganisms accumulators of polyphosphates I.11 Herbivory and microhabitats II.3 Invertebrates and heat III.1 UV Radiation V.22 Phenanthrene metabolizing I.13 Mycorrhizal fungi stress bacteria II.4 Moss carpets and native III.2 Solar activity in polar V.23 Bacteria producing I.1 Adaptive radiation of plants environments nanoparticles macroalgae II.5 Mosses and global warning III.3 Freshwater and primary IV.4 Magmatism and I.5 Phylogeography and II.6 Microbial and enzymatic productivity metamorphosism in Fildes V.1 Antineoplasic molecule of evolution of Neobuccinum activity of soils III.4 Bio-optical modelling Deschampsia VI.2 POPs in the aquatic I.6 Genomics of microorganisms II.7 Diazospring III.5 Seismic Facies and IV.2 Geological Evolution V.2 Antibacterial peptides food web I.10 Metagenomics of microbial II.10 Photosynthetic responses sedimentation communities of plants to climate change III.11 Climate reconstruction IV.3 Site for astronomical V.5 Natural compounds of VI.3 Research and II.11 Scenarios of global III.14 Glaciers response to observations actinomycetes environmental monitoring I.2 Paleoflora and invertebrates warming on freshwater climate change of Torres del Paine II.12 Fungal endophytes in IV.1 Dynamics of the V.3 Antibacterial activity in VI.1 Paints for corrosion I.12 Plastics in Antarctic fur seals Deschampsia III.8 Glacier dynamics magnetosphere lichens protection

Line I. Line II. Line III. Line IV. Line V. Line VI. The State of the Antarctic Thresholds: Antarctic Climate Earth Sciences and Antarctic Microbiology Antarctic Environment Antarctic Ecosystem Ecosystem Resilience Change Astronomy and Molecular Biology and Adaptation

46 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science V.4 Microorganisms synthesizers of nanoparticles V.6 Resistance genes in waste FINANCING SOURCES waters V.7 Microbes with methanogenic 1 INACH FIELD PROJECTS activity 2 INACH LAB PROJECTS V.8 Biotechnological potential of 3 INACH THESIS SUPPORT actinobacteria 4 INACH SPECIAL PROJECTS V.9 Gram+ bacteria and macroalgae 5 PIA-INACH V.10 Yeast in terrestial habitats 6 CORFO-INNOVACHILE V.11 Lychen polyphenols 7 FONDECYT-INACH V.12 Antifreeze proteins of 8 CONICYT INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED microorganisms HUMAN CAPITAL V.13 Evolutionary adaptations in 9 FONDEF-INACH

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 47 CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE PROGRAM

Line I: The state of the Antarctic Ecosystem

Associated with the program "State of the Antarctic Ecosystem" by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

Biological diversity is the sum of all the living organisms rapidly in closing the knowledge gap concerning the state of in a system. These organisms collectively determine how the Antarctic ecosystems. ecosystems work and make up the basis for the life support Such initiatives have improved our understanding of system for our planet. the biogeographical similarities in Antarctic biodiversity in A modern approach to the problem presumes a focus on the space and time, and what is more, these have highlighted past and present patterns of diversity, in all the environments the importance of the interdisciplinary links between within Antarctica, sub-Antarctic regions, and vast expanses of oceanography, geology, and climatology, among other the Southern Ocean. One of the principal objectives of this line disciplines. Consequently, this PROCIEN line attempts to is an increase in scientific knowledge about this biodiversity, provide support to address scientific questions, within the from a gene level to the ecosystems which together with context of efforts coordinated with researchers from their improved biological knowledge of affected species, can be disciplines and nations. used for the conservation and management of all Antarctic Many aspects of Antarctic food chains are still unknown ecosystems. and it should be no surprise that new expeditions contribute At an international level, initiatives such as the Census of additional species to the lists of biological diversity, leading Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) and the Evolution & Biodiversity to more puzzling questions about their phylogeny, ecological in Antarctica (EBA) program have succeeded in establish roles, and conservation situation. From micro-scale to a coordinated research model on an international and ecosystem scale, PROCIEN 2014 will address key topics that multidisciplinary scale, that has been able to move forward together will answer the fundamental questions of this line. R. vargas

48 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science The state of the Antarctic Ecosystem

I.1 Macroalgal Adaptive Radiation: I.8 Does dietary overlap, feeding Potential Links to Ecological Niche Diversity selectivity and growth change in Antarctic in the Ecoregion of Magallanes and Chilean ichthyoplankton at different time scales? A Antarctica (2014-2017) biophysical study in Chile Bay, Greenwich Contact: Andrés Mansilla (Univ. de Island, South Shetland Islands during austral Magallanes) [email protected] summer season (2013-2016) Contact: Mauricio Landaeta (Univ. de Valparaíso) I.2 Invertebrates and paleoflora of the [email protected] Early Cretaceous ichthyosaurs site at Torres del Paine National Park, southernmost Chile I.9 Evolutionary history of the (2011-2014) Contact: Marcelo Leppe (INACH) Antarctic pearlwort Colobanthus quitensis and Wolfgang Stinnesbeck (Univ. Heidelberg) (Caryophyllaceae): Population genetics, [email protected] phylogeographic patterns, and adaptive differentiation (2014-2017) I.3 High latitude meiofaunal macro- Contact: Cristian Torres (Univ. del Bío-Bío) ecology and diversity assessed using both [email protected] morphological and molecular techniques (2011-2014) Contact: Matthew Lee (Univ. de I.10 The metagenomes and Los Lagos) [email protected] metatranscriptomes of microbial communities at the Arctic and Antarctic I.4 Biodiversity of Southern Ocean Ocean surfaces: which metabolic processes Seaweed: first local and regional insights and principal actors drive these ecosystems using a molecular-assisted alpha taxonomy and how will climate change modify them? approach (2012-2015) Contact: Marie Laure (2013-2016) Contact: Beatriz Fernández Guillemin (Univ. Austral de Chile) (Univ. de Chile) [email protected] [email protected] I.11 Interactions in extreme I.5 Phylogeography and evolutionary environments: Herbivory and microhabitats history of the species Neobuccinum eatoni on Antarctic intertidal shores (2014) (Mollusca, Neogastropoda) in the Southern Contact: Viviana Segovia (Univ. Austral de Ocean (2012-2015) Contact: Angie Díaz Chile) [email protected] (Univ. de Magallanes) [email protected] I.12 Diet dependent plastic ingestion I.6 Functional metagenomic of whole in Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella microbial communities associated to (2014) Contact: Elisa Bravo-Rebolledo (Univ. Antarctic marine invertebrates: diversity and de Wageningen) [email protected] bioactive compounds synthetic capabilities (2012-2015) Contact: Nicole Trefault (Univ. I.13 Effects of mycorrhizal Antarctic Mayor) [email protected] fungi inoculation on wheat cv KUMPA INIA (2014) Contact: Constanza Espinoza (Univ. I.7 Photobiont selectivity and specificity Mayor) [email protected] in the genus Caloplaca (lichenized Ascomycota): comparisons between southern Chile and Antarctic communities (2014- 2017) Contact: Reinaldo Vargas (Univ. Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación) [email protected]

funding over funding between USd 850.000. USd 210.000 and 850.000.

funding between funding under USd 105.000 and 210.000. USd 105.000.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 49 CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE PROGRAM

Line II. Antarctic thresholds: Ecosystem resilience and adaptation

Associated with the program "Antarctic Thresholds: Ecosystem resilience and adaptation" from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The environmental conditions that surround these organisms are changeable. It is possible to encounter conditions of abiotic stress during a single day as the result of temperature variations between day and night, just as there are changes in light quality due to sunlight's angle of incidence. These changes are even more dramatic when we consider a larger time scale, such as between summer and winter, or factors such as latitude, altitude, and human influences. Antarctic ecosystem stress factors are the result of seasonal and inter-annual variability, long term climate change, lower temperature extremes, and the availability of water, along with the human impacts. The particular conditions found in many parts of Antarctica have shown diverse responses. While in some areas warming has resulted in retreat of glaciers, in other places there are no such changes. This offers the opportunity to measure and quantify the effects of warming from the standpoints ranging from individual to ecosystem, in this way contributing to the understanding of the process and broadening the debate toward an environmental policy that could assure stability for the biosphere. G. ARRIAGADA

50 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Antarctic thresholds: Ecosystem resilience and adaptation

II.1 Impact of global change on II.9 The role of soil biological crusts as the physiology of Antarctic seaweeds: sources of nitrogen in non-ornithogenic Consequences for coastal processes soils of South Shetland Islands, Antarctic in scenarios of temperature shifts and Peninsula (2011-2014) Contact: Cecilia Pérez enhanced UV radiation (2012-2015) (Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad) Contact: Iván Gómez (Univ. Austral de Chile) [email protected] [email protected] II.10 Photosintetic responses to warming II.2 Antarctic Plant Ecophysiology: as consequence of the climate change Unraveling the biological consequences of in populations of Antarctic plants from climate change on plant populations of the different latitudes in the Maritime Antarctic Maritime Antarctic (2012-2015) Contact: (2013-2016) Contact: Patricia Sáez (Univ. de León Bravo (Univ. de La Frontera) Concepción) [email protected] [email protected]

II.3 Coping with warming of Southern II.11 Addressing global warming Ocean: invertebrates responses to thermal scenarios in freshwater ecosystems using stress conditions (2013-2016) Contact: aquatic insects as model organisms in Marcelo González (INACH) sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions (2013- [email protected] 2016) Contact: Tamara Contador (Univ. de Magallanes) [email protected] II.4 Assessing the importance of moss carpets for the establishment of native II.12 Effect of endophytic fungi plants in the Antarctic under a global change onthe ecophysiological performance and scenario (2012-2015) Contact: Angélica biochemical responses of Deschampsia Casanova (Univ. de Concepción) antarctica under the current scenario and [email protected] in one of simulated global climate change (2013-2016) Contact: Rómulo Oses (Centro II.5 Metabolomic responses of the de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas) Antarctic mosses Sanionia uncinata and [email protected] Polytrichum alpinum to global warming (2014-2017) Contact: Gustavo Zúñiga (Univ. II.13 Campylobacter in Antarctica: de Santiago de Chile) diversity, origin and effects on wildlife [email protected] (2014-2017) Contact: Daniel González (Univ. de Concepción) [email protected] II.6 Response of soil enzymatic and microbial activity to global temperature II.14 Study of viral and bacterial diversity increase in cold ecosystems of Patagonia in seawater and Antarctic fish species: and Antarctica (2014-2017) Contact: Ángela Finding of natural reservoir of salmonid Machuca (Univ. de Concepción) pathogen (2013-2016) Contact: Marcelo [email protected] Cortez (Univ. de Santiago de Chile) [email protected] II.7 DIAZOSPRING: Ecology of diazotrophic cyanobacteria in hot springs II.15 Historic and recent colonizers: along a latitudinal gradient from Atacama genetic and phenotypic variability and to Antarctica (2011-2014) Contact: Beatriz phylogenetic relationships of Colobanthus Díez (P. Univ. Católica de Chile) quitensis and Juncus bufonius in the [email protected] context of regional changes in Antarctica (2013-2015) Contact: Marely Cuba (Univ. de II.8 DIAZOPOLARSEA: Marine diazotrophy Concepción) [email protected] in the Southern Ocean (2011-2014) Contact: Beatriz Díez (P. Univ. Católica de II.16 Characterization anatomical, Chile) [email protected] physiological and molecular in Deschampsia antarctica DEV., under salt stress (2013- funding over funding between USd 850.000. USd 210.000 and 850.000. 2015) Contact: Daisy Tapia (Univ. de funding between funding under Concepción) [email protected] USd 105.000 and 210.000. USd 105.000.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 51 CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCEPROGRAM 52 (SCAR). Committee onAntarcticResearch theScientific from Evolution," ResponsesandInfluences onCryosphere Earth Century," "Past AntarcticIceSheetDynamics,"and"Solid "AntarcticClimateAssociated with Changeinthe21st climate A Line III. associated tendencies. tendencies. associated the understanding of theseprocessesandmechanismsof change,andtheir of thepresent,andtopredicate futurescenarios. theintegrated uncover of ourremoterhythms theevidence past,todescribe that allow tostudy thenatural will usto unique environment variability andthe climate thematerials providing arebroughttogetherinAntarctica, of humancapital. theadvance andtheformation of science further development momentumto surrounding thisquest,provide multidisciplinary andsustained agrowing in order tounderstandthecauses,togetherwith impacts andtocharacterize theresulting respond tomanykey questions the studyof thephenomenonof globalclimate change.Theurgentneedto face oursociety,of challenges including andopportunities thoserelated to The development of the projects in this line are efforts that contribute to that contribute The development of theprojectsinthislineareefforts theneighborhoodof geosystemsthat actIn thiscontext, toforgeour Beyond thethreat representbythisreality, it isclearthat agreat number ilaia /Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science ntarctic

c h

ange ay

S. LAY S. L

E. Barticevic E. Barticevic cap duringprevious globalwarmingperiods. our understanding ofthedynamicsice The objectiveofthissub-area isto improve anthropogenic forcing factors . to understand theresponses ofphysical andbiologicalsystems to natural and key elementsoftheatmosphere, theocean,andAntarctic cryosphere and The objectivesofthissub-area are to provide improved regional forecasts ofthe climate change A. CurrentAntarctic [email protected] Ernesto Molina(P. Univ. Católica deChile) sea-ice algalgrowth (2012-2014)Contact: [email protected] Claudia Aracena (Univ. Austral de Chile) Antarctic Peninsula (2012-2014)Contact: and nutrientsinSouthPatagonia andthe primary productivity, biogenicsilicacontent [email protected] Santiago deChile) Contact: Alessandro Damiani (Univ. de polar environment (2014-2017) Santiago deChile)[email protected] (2010-2014) Contact: Raúl Cordero (Univ. de UV-linked effects onendemicspecies Ice SheetDynamics B. PastAntarctic III.4 Bio-opticalmodellingofAntarctic III.3 Influenceoffreshwater flowon III.2 Influenceofthesolaractivityon III.1 Surface spectral UVradiation and [email protected] Jorge Arigony(Univ. Fed. doRio Grande) 2014) Contact: Ricardo Jaña(INACH) and Peninsula andPatagonian Icefields(2013- [email protected] Meteorológica deChile) program) Contact: Jorge Carrasco (Dirección O’Higgins andArturo Prat (Monitoring of synopticstations Eduardo Frei, Bernardo observations for thebasicglobalnetwork [email protected] Verdugo (Univ. deConcepción) consuming (2014)Contact: MaríaJosefa and methaneinvolvedbiogeochemical Strait, Antarctica; thecases ofnitrous oxide greenhouse gasesinwaters oftheBransfield Bello) [email protected] Contact: Cristián Rodrigo (Univ. Nac.Andrés Peninsula (2012-2015) and fjords oftheDancoCoast, Antarctic sedimentation processes insmallbays Chile) [email protected] Contact: Roberto Godoy(Univ. Austral de the Antarctica Fildes Peninsula (2011-2014) chronosequence oftheglacierretreat in III.8 Glaciers dynamicsofAntarctic III.7 Program ofmeteorological III.6 Content andexchangeof III.5 Seismicfacies variabilityand III.9 Biologicalweatheringinasoil Earth to tectonic andcryosphericforcing. our understanding oftheresponse ofthe The objectiveofthissub-area isto improve [email protected] Estudios Avanzados enZonas Áridas) Contact: ShelleyMacDonell(Centro de to climate changeinChile (2013-2016) [email protected] Técnica Federico Santa María) 2016) Contact: Francisco Cereceda (Univ. relationship withglobalwarming(2013- of theirimpact onglacierretreat andits snow inLaclavère Plateau: Assessment characterization ofAntarctic aerosols and [email protected] Estudios Avanzados enZonas Áridas) 2015) Contact: MichalPetlicki (Centro de understanding ofIceCalving Events (2013- [email protected] (Univ. Nac.Andrés Bello) (2012-2015) Contact: Francisco Fernandoy investigations atPlateau Laclavere icecap Antarctic Peninsula -glacio-geochemical climate reconstruction atthenorthern Evolution Influences onCryosphere C. SolidEarthResponsesand III.13 Understanding glacierresponse III.12 Chemicalfingerprint III.11 Para-ICE: towards abetter III.10 Recent high-resolution USd 105.000and210.000. funding between USd 850.000. funding over

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science Ant arctic clima funding unde USd 210.000and850.000. funding between USd 105.000. te change r /ilaia 53 CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCE PROGRAM

Line IV. Earth sciences and astronomy

Associated with the program "Antarctic astronomy and astrophysics" by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

In the outermost reaches of the earth's atmosphere there is a magnetic shield known as the magnetosphere, which protects the earth from the effects of the solar wind. This wind is made up of ions that are driven by the Earth's magnetic field toward the poles, producing the aurora australis and the aurora borealis over the Antarctic and the Arctic, respectively. However, the intensity of the magnetosphere is not constant and is often affected by climate factors in space, reminding us of the fragility of our daily technology by its variations. For example, the interconnected systems of energy and navigation, broadband and telephone connections, and many others are affected. For this reason, this study is being addressed internationally and PROCIEN is likewise also considering research in this area. Meanwhile, Antarctica possesses certain peculiarities that make it attractive for observing the universe. The fact that many atmospheric phenomena manifest themselves in a particular way on the White Continent, as the case of the lines of magnetic induction at the poles and the southern ozone hole, has fueled interest in observations of the polar regions. Also, the permanent winter darkness, low turbulence, low degree of cloudiness, and dry air make certain sites in the Antarctic are much better for astronomical observations than any other place on Earth. Finally, an understanding of the dynamics of the solid Earth is essential to the development of an interconnected earth sciences vision. The dynamics of our planet is, in fact, quite variable: shifting tectonic plates, coastal erosion, volcanic eruptions that can occur from a geological time scale to sudden moments, etc., can now be addressed through modern paleomagnetic, geochronological or sequence stratigraphy techniques. RING PROJECT

54 ilaia / Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science IV.1 Turbulence in space plasmas and its impact on the magnetospheric dynamics and space weather (2011-2015) Contact: Marina Stepanova (Univ. de Santiago de Chile) [email protected]

IV.2 Geological and paleontological evolution of the Magellan and Larsen Basins during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic: source areas and possible similarities (2010-2014) Contact: Teresa Torres (Univ. de Chile) [email protected]

IV.3 First steps towards a new site-testing at West Antarctica: The search for the best astronomical observations site in our planet (2011-2014) Contact: Patricio Rojo (Univ. de Chile) [email protected]

IV.4 Magmatic and metamorphic variations during Cenozoic at the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica (2014) Contact: Gabriela Chávez (Univ. de Chile) [email protected]

funding over funding between USd 850.000. USd 210.000 and 850.000.

funding between funding under USd 105.000 and 210.000. USd 105.000. NASA

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 55 B and M A Line V. CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCEPROGRAM 56 should further strengthen the number of polar scientific publications inthisarea. publications strengthen thenumberof polarscientific should further against cancer. plantthatan Antarctic may helpinthefight fluorescent compounds nanocomposites from produced orantineoplastic bybacteria molecules produced of antibacterial characterization or bacteria byAntarctic microorganisms found orplantstoconditions inAntarctica. theextreme microbiologists andmolecular biologists interested of theadaptations instudying Considering theexplosive of thislineof research Considering growth inrecent years, Chile In thisway, many of thesePROCIEN projects address, for example, the In recent hasbecome decades, afocus continent of theAntarctic interest for ilaia /Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science ntarctic iology icrobiology M olecular

F.TRUEBA /EFE Antarctic Microbiology and Molecular Biology

V.1 New antineoplasic molecule from V.9 Phylogenetic Diversity and Bioactive V.18 Characterization, heterologous Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (2012-2015) Potential of Gram-Positive Bacteria Associated expression and improving antimicrobial Contact: Manuel Gidekel (Uxmal) with Marine Macroalgae from Antarctica activity of bacteriocins produced by Antarctic [email protected] (2013-2016) Contact: Sergio Leiva (Univ. Pseudomonas (2013-2015) Contact: Austral de Chile) [email protected] María Soledad Pavlov (P. Univ. Católica de V.2 Antimicrobial peptides of Antarctic Valparaíso) [email protected] bacteria. Synthesis and optimization for V.10 Studies of diversity, adaptations and control of pathogenic bacteria in foods applied potential of yeasts colonizing Antarctic V.19 Synthesis of tellurium-based (2011-2014) Contact: Sergio Marshall (P. Univ. terrestrial habitats (2013-2016) Contact: nanostructures by tellurite-resistant bacteria Católica de Valparaíso) and Marcelo González Marcelo Baeza (Univ. de Chile) isolated from the Chilean Antarctic Territory (INACH) [email protected] [email protected] (2013-2015) Contact: Benoit Pugin (Univ. de Santiago de Chile) [email protected] V.3 Antibacterial activity of Antarctic V.11 Polyphenols isolated from Antarctic lichens against multiresistant pathogenic Lichens as inhibitors of tau aggregation (2013- V.20 Identification and characterization bacteria (2012-2014) Contact: Gerardo 2016) Contact: Carlos Areche (Univ. de Chile) of a new mechanism/strategy for tellurite González (Univ. de Concepción) [email protected] resistance in tellurite-resistant bacteria [email protected] isolated from Chilean Antarctic Territory V.12 Antifreeze proteins purified from (2013-2015) Contact: Claudia Muñoz (Univ. de V.4 Isolation of Antarctic microorganisms psychrophilic Antarctic microorganisms (2013- Santiago de Chile) able to synthesize highly fluorescent 2016) Contact: Patricio Muñoz (F. Biociencia) [email protected] semiconductor nanoparticles (Quantum Dots) [email protected] for biotechnological applications (2011-2015) V.21 Search for Antarctic polyphosphate Contact: José Pérez (Univ. de Chile) V.13 Evolutionary adaptions of voltage accumulator microorganisms for the [email protected] dependent potassium channels from an biosynthesis of copper sulfide nanoparticles Antarctic organism (2012-2015) Contact: (CuS) at low temperatures (2013-2014) V.5 Using natural compounds from Patricio Rojas (Univ. de Santiago de Chile) Contact: Luis Saona (Univ. de Chile) Antarctic actinomycetes to increase food [email protected] [email protected] safety in processing and refrigerated plants (2012-2014) Contact: Paris Lavín (INACH) V.14 Analysis and enhancement of the V.22 Isolation and characterization of [email protected] production of metabolites of biotechnological Antarctic bacteria capable of metabolizing interest in Antarctic Xanthophyllomyces phenanthrene in the presence of heavy metals V.6 Fildes Peninsula Resistome: Is there dendrorhous yeast strains (2012-2014) with potential applications in bioremediation any contribution of antimicrobial resistance Contact: Jennifer Alcaíno (Univ. de Chile) (2014) Contact: Alejandro Gran (Univ. de Chile) genes from waste waters? (2012-2015) [email protected] [email protected] Contact: Helia Bello (Univ. de Concepción) [email protected] V.15 Enantioselectivity of thermophilic V.23 Isolation of Antarctic bacteria Antarctic lipases in nonaqueous systems resistant to Cd+2 and TeO3-2 producers V.7 Selection and identification of (2012-2015) Contact: Jenny Blamey (F. of fluorescent nanoparticles to be used on microbial consortiums with high acidogenic Biociencia) [email protected] bioremediation (2014-2015) Contact: Daniel and methanogenic activity from Antarctic Plaza (Univ. de Chile) [email protected] sediments, for application to psychrophilic V.16 Proteomic and metabolomic wastewater anaerobic digestion under analysis of the UV-B radiation tolerance on temperate to cold climates (2013-2016) Deschampsia antarctica Desv. ex vitro culture Contact: Léa Cabrol (P. Univ. Católica de (2012-2014) Contact: Hans Köhler (Univ. de Valparaíso) [email protected] Santiago de Chile) [email protected]

V.8 Actinobacteria diversity in Antarctic V.17 Characterization of psychrophilic ecosystems and assessment of the bacteria isolated from Deschampsia antarctica biotechnological potential of their secondary phyllosphere and their potential protective metabolites (2012- 2015) Contact: Leticia effect against frost injury to plants (2013- Barrientos (Univ. de La Frontera) 2015) Contact: Fernanda Cid (Univ. de La [email protected] Frontera) [email protected]

funding over funding between USd 850.000. USd 210.000 and 850.000.

funding between funding under USd 105.000 and 210.000. USd 105.000.

Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science / ilaia 57 CHILEAN ANTARCTIC SCIENCEPROGRAM 58 environment A Line VI. structural steelinareasof highcorrosion. now of attemptspaintthat protect the todeterminethetypes will of thecountry, includingin different Rosa'swork parts Antarctica. tobeusedinmetalstructures of bettermaterials better selection that allow corrosivity forthe has constructedmapsatmospheric Meanwhile,theresearcher environment. the Antarctic RosaVera to risk generated andtheirpotential byhumansinAntarctica orAustralia. SouthAmerica from the winds andeven in Nothofagus pollen,found intheWhite Continent, carried have been distant eruptions from and, ontheother hand,particles theclimate throughoutChile ocean currents,forexample, modify the restof theplanet,influencing andbeinginfluenced byit. Itscold itself. Onthecontrary, it enjoys broad andcomplexinteractions with A coupleof projectsinthisareafocusontheeffectsof pollutants isnot aclosedsystem,upon environment The Antarctic ilaia /Advances in Chilean Antarctic Science ntarctic Magallanes) [email protected] (2012- 2014)Contact: Claudio Gómez(Univ. de [email protected] 2015) Contact: Gustavo Chiang(Univ. deConcepción) web of theAntarctic PeninsulaandPatagonia (2012- Persistent OrganicPollutants (POPs) intheaquatic food [email protected] Contact: RosaVera (P.Univ. Católica deValparaíso) of corrosivity highenvironmental Chilewith (2013-2016) structural corrosioninareas steelagainstatmospheric VI.3. Environmental Antarctic Monitoring Center AntarcticVI.3. Environmental Monitoring andpotential effectsof VI.2. Biomagnification VI.1. Protocol toselectpaintschemesprotect USd 105.000and210.000. funding between USd 850.000. funding over funding unde USd 210.000and850.000. funding between USd 105.000. r

E. BARTICEVIC Yelcho and Karpuj: new horizons for polar science During the next season (2014-2015) there will be two important developments: the incorporation of the research boat "Karpuj" and the reopening of the "Yelcho" station on Doumer Island.

The Antarctic Peninsula region is a unique natural Reopening of the "Yelcho" station laboratory. The intricate network of islands, bays, straits, peninsulas, glaciers, ice shelves, and sea beds - all under the Between the 1970s and 1990s several studies were effects of global warming that strongly impacts this area - conducted that were related to the marine ecosystem of the offers science an enormous body of knowledge. South Bay, which were essential for the support of the "Yelcho" For this reason and thanks to joint funding of the National station (64° 52' S, 63° 35' W). The Antarctic Specially Protected Commission for Scientific and Technological Research Area No. 146 is located within this bay, with abundant and (CONICYT) and INACH, the country has a research vessel and diverse marine fauna. logistical support, the RS "Karpuj" - for operations in the This season, after 10 years out of service, the facilities have Bransfield and Gerlache Straits. Its name is of indigenous been restored and significantly expanded, now offering a total Yagan origin, and means "black-browed albatross," which is a capacity of 13 people and infrastructure that includes a 33 species recognized for its ability to cross oceans with minimal square meter multi-purpose dry laboratory. There is also a wet effort, flying under all conditions of wind and waves. lab and tanks to store live marine samples, with a seawater The RS "Karpuj" will be based at Fildes Bay (King George recirculation system. Island), where the "Professor Julio Escudero" station is located. From there, it will support logistics activities and oceanographic studies in the South Shetland Islands (towards the Bransfield Strait) and the northwestern sector of the Antarctic Peninsula, to the "Yelcho" station sector and Petermann Island. This ship will allow the conduct of mesoscale studies of physical and biological oceanography, covering bays, fjords and open ocean as well as laying out transects in these areas. It is hoped that it will be able to starts its operations as of the LII Antarctic Scientific Expedition (2015-2016 season). A trial run period will take place during the next season (2014- 2015). The "Karpuj" will have a four square meter dry laboratory echo-sounder equipment and management of the rosette and a 19 square meter wet lab for processing and analysis of samples. There will also be a Simrad echo-sounder operating at frequencies of 38, 120 and 200 kHz, an electric winch with 2,000 meters of cable and a carousel water sampler with 12 Niskin bottles of 5 liters each.