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Colonisation of stranded whale bones by lichens and mosses at Hennequin Point, King George Island, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Margéli Pereira de Albuquerque ,
Jair Putzke ,
Adriano Luis Schünemann ,
Frederico Costa Beber Vieira ,
Filipe de Carvalho Victoria Open the ORCID record for Filipe de Carvalho Victoria [Opens in a new window]  and
Antonio Batista Pereira
Margéli Pereira de Albuquerque
Affiliation:
INCT-APA, Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, RS, Brazil
Jair Putzke
Affiliation:
INCT-APA, Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel and Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul-Independência Avenue, 2293, Santa Cruz, RS, Brazil
Adriano Luis Schünemann
Affiliation:
INCT-APA, Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, RS, Brazil
Frederico Costa Beber Vieira
Affiliation:
INCT-APA, Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, RS, Brazil
Filipe de Carvalho Victoria
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Antártico de Pesquisas Ambientais (INCT-APA), Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), Antonio Trilha Avenue, 1847, São Gabriel, RS, Brazil (filipevictoria@unipampa.edu.br)
Antonio Batista Pereira
Affiliation:
INCT-APA, Antarctic Plants Studies Core (NEVA/UNIPAMPA), São Gabriel, RS, Brazil
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Abstract

This paper presents the details of lichens and mosses found on whale vertebrae substratum in the Admiralty Bay area, King George Island, Antarctica. Samples were taken in the coastal area at Hennequin Point, a relict of the Antarctic whaling era. The samples were collected from the upper surface of the whale bones found in the study area during the austral summer 2010–2011. A total of 15 lichen and two moss species were found. All species sampled are known in the Admiralty Bay area, both as pioneers and in more advanced succession stages in ice-free areas. These results suggest that the colonisation of whale bones is not new for Antarctic plants, but it is an additional substrate on which these plants can develop. A map showing the distribution of colonised bones and details of the usual substrata for the lichens and mosses found in this study are provided.

Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , January 2018 , pp. 29 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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