Spatiotemporal Variations in Antarctic Protistan Communities Highlight Phytoplankton Diversity and Seasonal Dominance by a Novel Cryptophyte Lineage.

The Andvord fjord in the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is known for its productivity and abundant megafauna. Nevertheless, seasonal patterns of the molecular diversity and abundance of protistan community members underpinning WAP productivity remain poorly resolved. We performed spring and fall expeditions pursuing protistan diversity, abundance of photosynthetic taxa, and the connection to changing conditions.