Page 12 - An-introduction-to-Svalbard
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THE PACK ICE
A large part of Svalbard’s ”land area” consists of pack ice, and is therefore seasonal. The retreating
ice edge in spring and summer is a very productive zone. Pack ice is also an ecological niche in
itself, a habitat for algae and other microscopic plankton. On the underside of the ice, these
organisms base themselves, sometimes in threads hanging down into the water, sometimes
as veils. On these “upside down sea meadows”, various forms of zooplankton feed, and they
in turn are food for fish and seals. On the ice, seals give birth, rest and moult. Which in turn
makes it the perfect hunting ground for polar bears.
The ice covering the sea in the polar regions affects the interchange of heat, water
vapour, gases and light between the water and the atmosphere. Intense research on these
complex processes is carried out because of their impact on climate change.
