Synthesis study demonstrates phytoplankton can bloom below Arctic sea ice

(Frontiers) Researchers used historical scientific studies, along with contemporary observations employing autonomous floats and robotic vehicles, to demonstrate that phytoplankton blooms occur under Arctic Ocean sea ice. Previously, scientists had assumed that was impossible due to low-light conditions, particularly when ice cover was thicker before climate change. The synthesis of more than half a century of research on under-ice blooms suggests that modern computer models underestimate the contribution of microscopic algae to the Arctic carbon cycle.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news