| Summary: | The occurrence of algae on the surface of Arctic ice floes was studied during the expedition ARK VIII/3 with the German research icebreaker RV POLAR-STERN in summer 1991. The species Chlamydomonas nivalis (BAUER) WILLESCWSW KOL was observed on all ice floes sampled covering the central part of the Arctic Ocean. At one location a red coloured snow patch contained 1.56-10^5 cells ml^<-1> melted snow of C. nivalis. Only akinetic cells were observed. They were coloured bright red and were mostly incorporated into mucilaginous aggregates together with lithogenic sediments. C. nivalis was also observed in the top centimetres of the sea ice floes and in a melt pond, which had formed on the sea ice. Gross production estimates, based on volume specific production rates, indicate that surface algae might significantly contribute to microalgal production on Arctic multi-year sea ice floes.
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