[Microbiological studies of the Wanda Lake (Antarctica)]

The deep-water (68 m) Wanda Lake in the Antarctica is noticeable by three characteristics: a relatively high temperature in the bottom layer, elevated salinity, and the presence of H2S. Only several (less often, dozens) saprophytic microorganisms per 40 ml of water are encountered in the lake. The total number of bacteria varies from 6-10(3) to 172-10(3) cells/ml. The highest content of the total bacterial population, and saprophytes, is found in intermediate layers, 30 and 40-50 m deep, respectively. Microbial strains isolated from water and ooze belong to the genera Pseudomonas, Chromobacterium, Bacillus, and Mycobacterium. Yeast organisms were also found. Sulphate reducing bacteria were detected only at one station in ooze of the lake while thionic bacteria could not be determined at all. Photosynthetic bacteria were isolated from ooze at all four stations.