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

Integration of microbiological data and geographical locations is necessary to understand the spatiotemporalpatterns of themicrobial diversity of an ecosystem. The Geographic Information System (GIS) to map and cataloguethe data ontheactinobacterial diversity of the Southern Ocean waterswas completed through sampling and analysis. Water samples collectedat two sampling stations viz.Polar Front 1(Station 1) andPolar Front 2(Station2)during7(th)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 dominantedwiththehigh score (> 60%), followed by Nocardiopsis (< 30%)at both the sampling stations-Polar Front 1 and Polar Front 2-along withother 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.Itis a novel approachusefulfor geospatial cataloguing of microbial diversityfromextreme nichesand 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.