Sea ice algae no more?

• Main Author: Burn, Courtney
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: University of Canterbury 2015
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; ice algae; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/13847

Primary productivity is an essential part of all ecosystems. Primary producers are important for starting the carbon cycle. In areas such as the Antarctic which is known to face climate changes, understanding how these changes will effect primary producers is of high importance. Wider ecosystem effects also needed to be considered. The main primary producer in sea ice communities is sea ice algae. Dramatic cooling or warming events will result in changes in sea ice extent. These changes could potentially have negative effects on sea ice algae populations and the wider marine ecosystem. More work is needed to fully predict the potential effects of Antarctic warming and cooling on the wider marine ecosystem