Description: tFatty acids of microalgae have been studied as potential chemotaxonomic markers, to reveal plausi-ble lipid phycotoxins or in the context of mass production of algal biofuels. The planctonic microalgaeAlexandrium tamarense (Dinophyceae) is a common harmful algal bloom species that often proliferatesin eutrophic costal waters. Alexandrium blooms are the proximal source of toxins associated with par-alytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a neurological affliction that has caused human illness for centuries viaconsumption of contaminated shellfish. However, data on the fatty acid composition of A. tamarense iscurrently limited. For this reason, we cultivated a well-defined strain of A. tamarense (Alex2, group I, NorthAmerican clade) in order to study both its major and minor fatty acids. The harvested microalgae weretransesterified and the fatty acid methyl esters were fractionated by means of high-speed counter-currentchromatography (HSCCC). The resulting 31 HSCCC fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography withmass spectrometry (GC/MS). Unknown substances were identified by transferring assorted HSCCC frac-tions into picolinyl or pyrrolidide derivatives. Twenty fatty acids (range 0.2–22.9% contribution to totalfatty acids) were identified in the unfractionated sample with 14:0, 16:0, 18:1n-9, 18:4n-3, 18:5n-3 and22:6n-3 representing 〉 80% of the total fatty acids. HSCCC fractionation enabled the identification of fur-ther 22 trace fatty acids contributing between ∼0.01 and 0.2% to total fatty acids. The fatty acids includedseveral branched-chain fatty acids as well as scarcely reported fatty acids like 11-methyl-18:1n-6tr or18:2�4,9. In order to enable a better comparability and repeatability of HSCCC fractionations, we calcu-lated for each HSCCC fraction the total volume of mobile phase, which had passed the HSCCC. From thisvolume we subtracted the volume of extruded stationary phase and divided the corrected volume by thetotal coil volume. These elution values were in good agreement with the partition ratios of randomlychosen fatty acid methyl esters obtained in shake flask tests, which allows the prediction of the elutionfrom the HSCCC system when the partition ratio is known.

Description: The Vernagtferner region has a long tradition of glaciological research performed by groups from Munich. It started in 1889, when Prof. Sebastian Finsterwalder from the Technical University in Munich produced the first map of a complete glacier based on terrestrial photogrammetry. Since then, numerous maps of the glacier have been made, describing the change in surface elevation for more than a century. These maps form the basis of the geodetic method of glacier mass balance determination, which provides volume changes as average data for the period between two surveys, i.e. typically for 10 years. Since the start of the glaciological method on Vernagtferner in 1964, annual as well as winter and summer mass balance data are available continuously. But only since 1973, the construction of the Vernagtbach station, approximately 1 km below the glacier margin at that time, provided the means to record a larger number of hydrological and meteorological parameters with a temporal resolution of typically 1 hour.

Description: In November 2001, two separate Campbell loggers ("Meteologger" and "Hydrologger", both type CR23X) were installed at the Vernagtbach site in the Oetztal Alps, Austria (Latitude: 46.85; Longitude: 10.82; Elevation: 2640 m). On these loggers, 10-minutes centred averages for the meteorological data and 5-minutes centred averages for the hydrological data are recorded. The meteorological parameters comprise air temperature, humidity of the air, air pressure, four radiation components, wind direction and speed, precipitation and snow height. For air temperature, two records are published, recorded with a ventilated and an unventilated Pt-100 in a Stevenson screen; for precipitation, three time series are available: (I) the cumulative record of a weighing gauge for the whole year, (II) single events derived from (I), and (III) single events from a tipping bucket; (II) and (III) are only provided for the period 1, May to 31, October of each year. Wind records are also given with a time step of one hour, as only these records include several statistics of speed and direction. Hydrological parameters are recorded on the "Hydrologger", they comprise water stage, discharge, water temperature and electrolytic conductivity of the water. An identifying number gives the kind of instrument used in the water stage time series. Daily photographs of the glacier are provided and analysed with respect to precipitation type.

Description: The first meteorological station in the Vernagtferner basin, called 'Gletschermitte' was run from 1968 to 1987. It was positioned on a small rock in the western part of the glacier at an elevation of 3078 m a.s.l. The coordinates were 46.868939° N (Latitude) and 10.802986° E (Longitude). The following parameters were recorded mainly during the summer months: Wind speed and wind direction, air temperature and humidity of the air and precipitation. The records of the first four parameters comprise hourly values from 1968 to 1986 /1987, daily sums of precipitation run from 1977 to 1987. All quantities were recorded on paper chart, i.e. 'Woelfle-Windschreiber' for the wind components, mechanically driven thermo-hygrographs (1968 to 1975) and 'BTW-Langzeit-Thermo-Hygrograph' (1977 to 1987) for temperature and humidity, Belfort analogue weighing gauge for precipitation. In 1976, air temperature was recorded on a Schenk paper chart recorder. In addition, photographs of the eastern part of Vernagtferner were taken once a day in summer between 1981 and 1986.