Abstract: Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses were used to determine the abundance and diversity of archaea in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. Correlation analysis was also performed to assess links between physicochemical parameters and archaeal abundance and diversity within the sea-ice. Samples of sea-ice and seawater were collected during the 26th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition. The results of FISH showed that archaea were relatively abundant within the top layer of the sea-ice, and correlation analysis suggested that the concentration of NH4+ might be one of the main factors underlying this distribution pattern. However, using 16S rRNA gene libraries, archaea were not detected in the top and middle layers of the sea-ice. All archaeal clones obtained from the bottom layer of the sea-ice were grouped into the Marine Group I Crenarchaeota while the archaeal clones from seawater were assigned to Marine Group I Crenarchaeota, Marine Group II Euryarchaeota, and Marine Group III Euryarchaeota. Overall, the findings of this study showed that the diversity of archaea in the sea-ice in Prydz Bay was low.

Key words: Antarctica, summer sea-ice, archaea, diversity, abundance