Air microbes that travel between continents vary according to the season

Air microbes that travel between continents vary according to the season https://i0.wp.com/www.eresviral.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Los-microbios-del-aire-que-viajan-entre-continentes-varían-según-la-estación.jpg?fit=260%2C143&ssl=1

Air microbes that travel between continents vary according to the season







An analysis of the atmospheric microbiome shows that microorganisms are more varied in winter and very different from summer ones. The air masses have been monitored for seven years at the LTER Environmental Monitoring Observatory in the Aigüestortes National Park. Some microorganisms appeared recurrent and predictable over the years, contrary to what was believed until now.



Air microbes that travel between continents vary predictably depending on the season and originate from very diverse sources that can be identified, according to a study led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and published in the journal. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).



The work shows that summer dominates airborne microbes from freshwater, agricultural and urban environments, while in winter they are more diverse, coming from terrestrial, forest and marine biomes.



Knowing the variation of air microorganisms is important since this aerial plankton is constantly emitted into the atmosphere and has remote effects on ecosystems far from their point of origin.



Every year, billions of microorganisms are spread through the air that are distributed throughout the planet, following the dynamics of the atmospheric circulation. This phenomenon has important implications, widely unknown, on the functioning of ecosystems, as well as on human and environmental health. This natural exchange is being exacerbated by the effects of global change and the desertification of sensitive areas of the planet.







Satellite image of a large mass of dust moving westward over the Canary Islands, with a size equivalent to that of the entire Iberian Peninsula (upper right margin). (Photo: NASA Earth Observatory)



"This is the most complete and extensive study carried out to date, handling a huge volume of data, both genetic and satellite. Surprisingly, some microorganisms appeared recurrently and predictably over the years, highlighting their potential for studies of forensic interest, "says study director Emilio O. Casamayor, from the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB) CSIC



To analyze the composition of the airborne microbiome, that is, the microbial community that travels in suspension in the air, the Casamayor team sequenced the ribosomal genes of bacteria, archaea, fungi and protists of air and snow samples taken twice a month during seven years at the LTER high mountain observatory of Global Change in the Aigüestortes National Park, in the central Pyrenees. The chemical composition of the rainwater and snow, and the path of the air masses to determine their origin were also analyzed.



The study concludes that the abundance and origin of the different microbial genera vary according to the seasons and are modulated by wind patterns. "Both bacteria and eukaryotes showed greater diversity in winter compared to summer, with the winter and summer airplanes communities showing the greatest differences among them," explains Casamayor. "A change in atmospheric circulation as a consequence of climate change will have an effect on these intercontinental microbial circulation highways," he emphasizes.



1% of bacterial genera and 7% of microbial eukaryotes were detected in more than 90% of samples, and most air sequences were very similar to those previously described in other parts of the planet, which shows that air transport is a potential mechanism of microbial dispersion globally.



The authors point out that there are especially sensitive areas on the planet that generate large amounts of atmospheric dust, with their associated microbes. These environments are very susceptible to degradation, but are not considered relevant in the environmental protection agendas due to their lack of faunistic, floristic or landscape interest, despite the key role they play in the global ecology of the Earth. "For all of this, it is necessary to favor adequate environmental policies in the semi-arid zones and to extend a global vision of the management of the Earth system and its functioning as an interconnected unit," concludes Casamayor. (Source: CSIC)

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