Ewa Poniecka

PhD student in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, UK. Interested in polar microbiology. My research focuses on the Earth’s coldest biome, in particular on the cryoconite holes, regarded as hotspots of microbial activity on glacier surfaces worldwide. Cryoconite is a matrix of mineral particles and biological material deposited on glaciers by wind and meltwater. Since the cryoconite material is dark coloured, it absorbs sunlight and melts down into the ice, creating a hole. My project captures the versatility and physiological variety of microbial species in cryoconite holes and help us to quantify how glacier surface ecosystems function, and contribute to global biogeochemical cycles.