Video:
Changing Habitats
Phytoplankton blooms in the Arctic Ocean
As Arctic sea ice melts, the surface of the water may be covered by more algae blooms.
Algae blooms can be made up of different kinds of algae. The ones featured are made up of phytoplankton cyanobacteria that live in water. A phytoplankton bloom is the development of a level of phytoplankton biomass that is uncharacteristically high for a given water body.
Phytoplankton photosynthesise, using carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce carbohydrates and oxygen, which are vital ingredients for life processes.
As sea ice melts, and more sunlight reaches the surface of the water directly, this creates the opportunity for more algae blooms to thrive.
Ice sheets currently create dark areas under the surface of the water, and algae blooms will also create similar light levels under the water.
Species adapt to changing environments with time; we are yet to see how species adapt to changing environments in the Arctic, and how this will affect the migration routes and food chains of marine species.
Footage:
Video Loop 1 - Left:
Under the Arctic Ice, Wahlenbergfjorden, Svalbard
Footage by Daniel Ludwig Vogedes PhD and his team,"Deep Impact" & "KROP" research technician, ”Mare Incognitum" webpage administrator: https://www.mare-incognitum.no/, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Video Loop 2 - Right:
More info on algae blooms:
https://www.jyi.org/2019-march/2019/3/1/a-chilly-change-in-perspective-on-arctic-algae-blooms
https://scitechdaily.com/swirling-green-algae-blooms-in-baltic-sea-viewed-from-space-video/
Video: Jennifer Argo
Edit: Iman Tajik