Hidden Production: On the Importance of Pelagic Phytoplankton Blooms Beneath Arctic Sea Ice
Abstract
Recent observations suggest that substantial phytoplankton blooms occur under sea ice on Arctic continental shelves during June and July. This is opposed to the traditional view that no significant biomass is produced in sea‐ice covered waters. However, no observational estimates are available on the Arctic‐wide primary production beneath sea ice. Here, using a fully coupled Arctic system model, we estimate that 63%/41% of the total primary production in the central Arctic occurs in waters covered by sea ice that is ≥50%/≥85% concentration. The total primary production there is increasing at a rate of 5.2% per decade during 1980–2018. Increased light transmission, due to the removal of sea ice, more extensive melt ponds, and thinner sea ice, is implicated as the main cause of increasing trends in primary production.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Aug 25, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1029/2020jc016211
Entities
People
- Jaclyn Clement Kinney
- Marina Frants
- Meibing Jin
- Nicole Jeffery
- Robert Osinski
- Wiesław Masłowski
- Younjoo Lee
Organizations
- International Arctic Research Center
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- National Science Foundation
- Naval Postgraduate School
- Polish Academy of Sciences
- United States Department of Energy