A group of scientists from the Universities of Brown and Auckland presented the results of a study of the ocean covered by
Until now it was believed that sea ice,covering the Southern Ocean, blocks all the light and does not let it into the water. This should prevent the growth of phytoplankton there - tiny algae that are the basis of aquatic food webs. Nevertheless, numerous observations have noted the appearance of algae, which begin to bloom as soon as the ocean is freed from ice.
Scientists have suggested that flowering actually starts earlier and occursTo test the hypothesis, they used data collected by BGC-Argo floating buoys.Scientists collected observations from 51 floats that made 2197 ice dives between 2014 and 2021.
Floats being dropped from research vesselsoverboard and left for independent biogeochemical sampling. In their work, scientists used data on the level of chlorophyll and the level of light scattering. Phytoplankton scatter light in proportion to their size and concentration.
The researchers found that 88% of samplingunder the ice recorded phytoplankton growth before the sea ice retreated, and 26% showed evidence of subglacial blooms. Researchers note that the presence of phytoplankton under the ice changes ideas about the entire ecosystem.
Higher trophic levels migrate to where food is available, and if it is under ice, the entire food web can be expected to follow.
Christopher Horvat, head of research
Further research will be needed to understand how these hidden ecosystems function and whether phytoplankton blooms attract predators and prey under the ice.
Read more:
The main theory of the origin of man was refuted: where did we come from
World's first stool 'transplant' pill approved in Australia
Found the world's first "kitchen": they fried fish there 780,000 years ago
On the cover: phytoplankton blooming in the ocean in a satellite image