Tag: Phytoplankton

Subglacial meltwater boosts Greenland’s summer plankton bloom

Julia Hager

A comprehensive modeling study shows how subglacial meltwater triggers an additional summer bloom of phytoplankton in Disko Bay. At the same time, the climate-relevant carbon sequestration increases only slightly.

The Polar Retrospective - Successful Antarctic Citizen Science Project, Arctic Toxins and Erupting Volcanoes

Polar Journal AG Team

The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the impact of an NASA backed citizen science project in Antarctica, the increase in toxins levels in the Alaskan Arctic, and melting glaciers that might trigger more volcanoes eruptions.

Climate change reduces the ability of Arctic fjords to store carbon

Julia Hager

According to a new study, Arctic fjords could store carbon less effectively in the future as global warming progresses, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the climate.

Whales – the gardeners of the oceans

Julia Hager

Whales are considered the ecosystem engineers of the oceans. They stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, which in turn supports the growth of their primary food source, krill.

Does the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean work differently than we thought?

Julia Hager

Diatoms, a key player in the Southern Ocean food web, may contribute less to the biological carbon pump than previously thought.

Floating robots reveal just how much airborne dust fertilises the Southern Ocean – a key climate ‘shock absorber’

Guest Author

The Southern Ocean, a region critical to Earth’s climate, hosts vast blooms of microscopic ocean plants known as phytoplankton. They form the very basis of the Antarctic food web.

Satellite aesthetics: the poles from the sky

Mirjana Binggeli

From the convolutions of frozen rivers to the concentration of plankton and sediment, from the advance of a glacier to the symmetry of ice, satellite images of the polar regions offer a breathtaking spectacle.

One Planet - Polar Summit, the cryosphere in all its states

Camille Lin

The first day of the One Planet - Polar Summit ended with informal discussions yesterday after 10pm alongside the animals in the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle's evolution gallery, while it started in the middle of the gardens, in the Verniquet amphitheatre, with the launch of the forum.

Zooplankton production may diminish under the ice pack

Camille Lin

The results of a study published in Nature suggest that more attention should be paid to Arctic zooplankton. Sea ice retreat could reduce the productivity of these invertebrates that are at the base of the food chain.

Southern Ocean receives much more iron from anthropogenic sources

Julia Hager

If the iron input to the Southern Ocean decreases in the future due to reduced carbon emissions, iron could become scarce.