New Plant Species in Antarctica: Discovered By Punjab University Scientists: Greenery has started to set in Antarctica, due to the loss of so much ice cover. In 2017, a biologists team from Punjab University went to the Indian Research Station and took some moss samples.
The biologists’ team from the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) has discovered moss species from eastern Antarctica. Can you guess that species name? As a tribute to the goddess Saraswati, they named that species ‘Bryum Bharatiensis’ and kept ‘Bharati’ as a name to one among India’s Antarctic Station.
Discovery Of New Species In Antarctica
This discovery was done by Dr. Felix Bast, who is CUPB Polar & Marine Biologist, and HoD, Dept. of Botany, CUPB. In Indian Antarctic Mission 2016-17, he visited Antarctica as an expedition scientist. Then, near the Bharati Station, Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica, he found green plant species on plants.
He carried out extensive research and various studies, after returning to the Punjab University. He did all this along with the Wahid Ul Rahman (Ph.D. student) and collaborated with Dr. Kriti Gupta (Botany Department HOD, DAV College, Bathinda). This research had lead to the discovery of new Moss in Antarctica, for the first time, across the world.
The Indian scientists have spent five years on this research. Then have done the comparison of the plant DNA with other plant species. To confirm the new species, scientists have taken five years.
Dr. Felix said that since the 40 years of the Indian Antarctic Mission, this is the first plant species discovery. In the year 1984, the first station was set up and in 1990, it was abandoned, because of submerging. In 1989 and 2012, Maitri and Bharati stations were commissioned and operating throughout the year, a BBC report said.
How The Moss Survived?
The survival of new moss in Antarctica is elaborated by Soutik Biswas BBC report. For the survival of plants, Nitrogen, Potassium, water, and sunlight are required. Prof Bast said that a big question was the survival of moss in the landscape of ice and rock.
The scientists found that this moss is mainly growing in the areas where the penguins are bred. The poop of Penguins has nitrogen. Prof Bast told the BBC that the plants are surviving on penguin’s poop only. It helped the manure not decompose in this critical climate.
The scientists also said that they are not having any clues on this species survive during six winter months without sunlight. Even the temperature is also low, -76C.
Scientists say it is likely the moss becomes dries up almost becomes like a seed in the winter season and in the summer season, it germinates again. Then get the sunlight. Whereas, the dried-up moss absorbs water from the snow that is melting.
