Cryoconite holes are cavities on glacial ice caused by sediment that contain diverse microbial communities in an extreme environment. These holes are formed by pieces of sediment on the ice surface, over time melting down to form a cavity in the ice where the organisms gather. The communities within a cryoconite hole consist of debris, bacteria, algae, and diatoms. Diatom population demographics in the cryoconite holes on Commonwealth, Canada, and Taylor Glacier are dominated by certain Humidophila and Luticola species. The McMurdo Dry Valley streams also home the species of diatoms found in cryoconites, however diatom species densities vary in the streams versus cryoconite holes.
Undergraduate Student, CU Boulder
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