Frill

Sea Ice a Biome...From the Macro to the Microscopic

When first introduced to the idea, most people will tell you you're crazy. But the fact of the matter is, there is life in ice, especially in sea ice. The network of briny channels provides excellent habitat for microorganisms such as diatoms, algae, and bacteria. In fact, this community of organisms are the center, if not all, of the primary production in the polar seas throughout the ice covered season. The relationship between these microorganism communities and the top of the food chain in the arctic is shown in the cartoon below.

Courtesy of Rolf Gradinger

The colonies generally form within the lower 5cm of the ice column. There they have both more light than in the water, and access to fresh nutrient supply next to the water.

This image is of a broken up and overturned ice floe, showing the thick, brown layer of algae et al on the bottom.