title: Investigating the Physiological and Metabolic Requirements of the Tramway Ridge Microbial Community, Mt Erebus, Antarctica

authors: Vickers, Chelsea Joy

subjects: Microbiology

abstract: Mount Erebus is the most active volcano on the Antarctic continent, and has the most geographically and physically isolated geothermal soil on Earth. It is exposed to some of the most extreme environmental conditions on the planet. Recent preliminary genetic analysis of the microbial community present in the 65°C subsurface soil of Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus has revealed a unique thermophilic microbial system, with the dominant members possessing little genetic similarity to any known bacteria. The aim of this project was to apply a range of techniques to investigate metabolic and physiological requirements of this poorly understood microbial system. The study included physical-chemical soil surveying, strategic cultivation, community based phenotypic arrays, nutritional enrichment experiments and pyrosequencing. This multifaceted, metabolism driven, approach incorporated both culture dependent and culture independent techniques in order to investigate the intriguing system in a way that is crucial to the understanding of this thermophilic community and the controlling environment. Overall, the results of this study have led to the hypothesis that the Tramway Ridge microbial community is driven by chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. This hypothesis is supported by a number of observations, firstly that in the absence of carbonate in enrichments, the community shifts to being dominated by obligate heterotrophs; the microbial ecosystem exists in subsurface soils which have limited, or no, light availability; the system is nutrient poor in nature, coupled to a carbon dioxide dominated gas supply from volcanic activity; two of the keystone members identified from pyrosequencing, phylogenetically group with bacterial phyla known for chemolithoautotrophic metabolism. Considering the detailed investigation of this apparently archaic and isolated microbial system, there is potential for this study to become an excellent model for future studies addressing the fundamental functioning and evolutionary processes associated with other thermophilic communities.

text: Investigating the Physiological and Metabolic Requirements of the Tramway Ridge Microbial Community, Mt Erebus, Antarctica Mount Erebus is the most active volcano on the Antarctic continent, and has the most geographically and physically isolated geothermal soil on Earth. It is exposed to some of the most extreme environmental conditions on the planet. Recent preliminary genetic analysis of the microbial community present in the 65°C subsurface soil of Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus has revealed a unique thermophilic microbial system, with the dominant members possessing little genetic similarity to any known bacteria. The aim of this project was to apply a range of techniques to investigate metabolic and physiological requirements of this poorly understood microbial system. The study included physical-chemical soil surveying, strategic cultivation, community based phenotypic arrays, nutritional enrichment experiments and pyrosequencing. This multifaceted, metabolism driven, approach incorporated both culture dependent and culture independent techniques in order to investigate the intriguing system in a way that is crucial to the understanding of this thermophilic community and the controlling environment. Overall, the results of this study have led to the hypothesis that the Tramway Ridge microbial community is driven by chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. This hypothesis is supported by a number of observations, firstly that in the absence of carbonate in enrichments, the community shifts to being dominated by obligate heterotrophs; the microbial ecosystem exists in subsurface soils which have limited, or no, light availability; the system is nutrient poor in nature, coupled to a carbon dioxide dominated gas supply from volcanic activity; two of the keystone members identified from pyrosequencing, phylogenetically group with bacterial phyla known for chemolithoautotrophic metabolism. Considering the detailed investigation of this apparently archaic and isolated microbial system, there is potential for this study to become an excellent model for future studies addressing the fundamental functioning and evolutionary processes associated with other thermophilic communities.

year: 2012

title: Mangroves and seagrass: Indicators of estuarine health?

authors: de Lange, Willem P.

abstract: Mangrove and seagrass occupy different environments within an estuary, and both potentially respond to environmental stressors such as, nutrient loading, sedimentation, turbidity and climate change. Therefore, they could be useful indicators of the health of the estuary. However, there are common misunderstandings about the function of flowering plants such as mangrove and seagrass in the marine environment that can lead to contradictory and possibly inappropriate actions by the public. For example, pressure to protect mangroves and remove seagrass. This talk will discuss the interactions between physical processes within estuaries and mangrove and seagrass, consider the changes that have occurred in the distribution of these plants over the recent past, and suggest possible causes for these changes.

text: Mangroves and seagrass: Indicators of estuarine health? Mangrove and seagrass occupy different environments within an estuary, and both potentially respond to environmental stressors such as, nutrient loading, sedimentation, turbidity and climate change. Therefore, they could be useful indicators of the health of the estuary. However, there are common misunderstandings about the function of flowering plants such as mangrove and seagrass in the marine environment that can lead to contradictory and possibly inappropriate actions by the public. For example, pressure to protect mangroves and remove seagrass. This talk will discuss the interactions between physical processes within estuaries and mangrove and seagrass, consider the changes that have occurred in the distribution of these plants over the recent past, and suggest possible causes for these changes.

year: 2016-06-01

title: The life story model of identity: A bridge between two spaces

authors: Houkamau, Carla Anne

subjects: Maori

abstract: Two questions which continue to absorb Western social psychological researchers are: What is the ‘self’? And ‘What is identity in relation to self?’ At the NMPPS this year this Dr. Love’s keynote threw these matters into relief prompting us as indigenous psychologists to reflect deeply on the nature of ‘selves’. Many questions arise from her address. Do we have ensembled selves? Are we self contained? Are we a bit of both depending on the situation? How do we work within psychology while honouring Māori perspectives?

text: The life story model of identity: A bridge between two spaces Two questions which continue to absorb Western social psychological researchers are: What is the ‘self’? And ‘What is identity in relation to self?’ At the NMPPS this year this Dr. Love’s keynote threw these matters into relief prompting us as indigenous psychologists to reflect deeply on the nature of ‘selves’. Many questions arise from her address. Do we have ensembled selves? Are we self contained? Are we a bit of both depending on the situation? How do we work within psychology while honouring Māori perspectives?

year: 2008