Microinvertebrates play a role as top consumers on glaciers. In this study we tested what kind of cryoconite material the animals inhabit (mud vs granules) on the edge of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) in the south-west. We also tested the links between the densities of micro-fauna in cryoconite material and selected biotic (algae, cyanobacteria, bacterial abundances) and abiotic (water depth, pH, ion content, radionuclides) factors. We collected 33 cryoconite samples. Tardigrada and Rotifera were found in 18 and 61% of samples, respectively. Invertebrates in this study were considerably less frequent and less abundant in comparison with High Arctic glaciers. The highest density of tardigrades and rotifers constituted 53 and 118 ind./ml, respectively. Generalized linear models showed no relationship between the densities of fauna and biotic and abiotic factors. The densities of animals were significantly higher in granules than in mud. The difference in the densities of animals between granules and mud reflects a simple mechanistic removal of invertebrates from the sediment during its erosion by flushing which leads to mud formation. These processes may influence a random distribution of micro-fauna without clear ecological interactions with biotic and abiotic variables at the edge of the GrIS.

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The methods of separation of microalgae has a significant impact in the economic aspects of their cultivation. in this study, pine bark was used as a substrate for immobilization of microalgal biomass cultivated in raw municipal sewage. the experiment was conducted in cylindrical photobioreactors (PBRs) with circulation of wastewater. Biomass was cultivated for 42 days. After that time, abundant growth of the biofilm with microalgae on the surface of pine bark as well as improvement of the quality of treated sewage were observed. The efficiency of removal of nutrients from wastewater was 64-81% for total nitrogen and 97-99% for total phosphorus. Moreover, the concentration of suspended solids in sewage was reduced, which resulted in a decrease in turbidity by more than 90%. Colorimetric analysis and Volatile Matter (VM) content in the substrate showed a decrease in the Higher Heating Value (HHV) and concentration of VM due to the proliferation of biofilm.