Actinobacterial community structure in the Polar Frontal waters of the Southern Ocean of the Antarctica using Geographic Information System (GIS): A novel approach to study Ocean Microbiome

Abstract

Integration of microbiological data and geographical locations is necessary to understand the spatiotemporal patterns of the microbial diversity of an ecosystem. The Geographic Information System (GIS) to map and catalogue the data on the actinobacterial diversity of the Southern Ocean waters was completed through sampling and analysis. Water samples collected at two sampling stations viz. Polar Front 1 (Station 1) and Polar Front 2 (Station 2) during 7th Indian Scientific Expedition to the Indian Ocean Sector of the Southern Ocean (SOE-2012-13) were used for analysis. At the outset, two different genera of Actinobacteria were recorded at both sampling stations. Streptomyces was the dominanted with the high score (> 60%), followed by Nocardiopsis (< 30%) at both the sampling stations-Polar Front 1 and Polar Front 2-along with other invasive genera such as Agrococcus, Arthrobacter, Cryobacterium, Curtobacterium, Microbacterium, Marisediminicola, Rhodococcus and Kocuria. This data will help to discriminate the diversity and distribution pattern of the Actinobacteria in the Polar Frontal Region of the Southern Ocean waters. It is a novel approach useful for geospatial cataloguing of microbial diversity from extreme niches and in various environmental gradations. Furthermore, this research work will act as the milestone for bioprospecting of microbial communities and their products having potential applications in healthcare, agriculture and beneficial to mankind. Hence, this research work would have significance in creating a database on microbial communities of the Antarctic ecosystem. Keywords: Antarctica, Marine actinobacteria, Southern ocean, GIS, Polar Frontal waters, Microbiome