ABSTRACT
The Arctic environment is warming twice as fast as the global average which is affecting the biotic communities in a significant manner. While some of the species such as polar bears are facing a challenging environment for hunting, migratory birds that feed on tundra might find it a better foraging environment. While the changes happening at a macro level are visible and easy to understand, the changes happening to microbial communities remain hidden. However, microorganisms play key roles in several processes in the Arctic environment and are pillars of biogeochemical cycles that sustain life in these harsh environments. Over the last 10 years, we have analysed the changes in the microbial communities through culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenome-based) techniques and evaluated some of the functional roles played by them. Our results reveal an increasing presence of non-polar isolates in the Arctic environment, which could be considered as a proxy and supporting evidence to the enhanced warming trends undergoing in the Arctic.
