Abstract

Polar organisms have adapted their seasonal cycles to the dynamic interface between ice and water. This interface ranges from the micrometre-sized brine channels within sea ice to the planetary-scale advance and retreat of sea ice. Polar marine ecosystems are particularly sensitive to climate change because small temperature differences can have large effects on the extent and thickness of sea ice. Little is known about the interactions between large, long-lived organisms and their planktonic food supply. Disentangling the effects of human exploitation of upper trophic levels from basin-wide, decade-scale climate cycles to identify long-term, global trends is a daunting challenge facing polar bio-oceanography.

1. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany.
2. Australian Antarctic Division, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia.
3. Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

Correspondence to: Victor Smetacek¹ Email: vsmetacek@awi-bremerhaven.de

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.