NASA | Massive Phytoplankton Bloom Discovered Under Arctic Sea Ice

Scientists have made a biological discovery in Arctic Ocean waters as dramatic and unexpected as finding a rainforest in the middle of a desert. A NASA-sponsored expedition punched through three-foot thick sea ice to find waters richer in microscopic marine plants, essential to all sea life, than any other ocean region on Earth.

The discovery is the result of an oceanographic expedition called ICESCAPE, or Impacts of Climate on EcoSystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment. The NASA-sponsored mission explored the seas along Alaska's western and northern coasts onboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker during the summers of 2010 and 2011. The finding reveals a new consequence of the Arctic's warming climate and provides an important clue to understanding the impacts of a changing climate and environment on the Arctic Ocean and its ecology.

Like our videos? Subscribe to NASA's Goddard Shorts HD podcast:

Or find NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on facebook:

Or find us on Twitter:

[meee]

mother earth is great at balancing stuff out, the more carbon produced the more and faster the carbon consuming organisms grow and the more oxygen they produce and will eventually balance everything out. it would also be great if we would stop cutting down rainforests on the massive scale.

[hotrokr]

This is an amazing find, because this means that life is more likely to be found in the under-ice sea of Europa! (Jupiter's moon)

[AnthonyW]

This is very interesting and I'm glad I watched it but I didn't expect to see this from NASA. Thumbs up

[EyeOps]

This also bodes well for life under lens-layered icy planets. Sweet!

Thanks. Video added to Species TV .com.

[linkxlove]

high CO² levels are plus Sunlight and water are good for photosynthesis... temperatures doesn't come to a bother in this state... so to remind you again... CO² are food for plants.. =)

[daniellozano]

muy interesante, gracias x permitirme ver y apreciar estas maravillas!!! un saludo desde uruguay

[winterstellar]

Oh, I don't dive under ice or up at the North Pole or anything, but the waters in northern Norway are classified as arctic, northern Norway is in the Arctic. THere's an abundance of life to watch there, both fish, squid, northern types of corals, crabs, (lots of King crabs lately, they're invading us from Russia and so on.) But one thing that also attracts many foreign divers, is the awesome vision, visibility, the waters are crystal clear: )

[kaupaxup]

Unfortunately dark green water also absorbs a whole lot more sunlight too. Definitely going to take some tweaking to the models.

[bentleyboy]

CO2 is not a pollutant. It is a greenhouse gas. Plants need CO2 to live.

[winterstellar]

Damn, I dive a bit in northern waters, in the arctic.(Norway) What we've always enjoyed there is the almost incredible visibility. But if lots of algea or plankton start growing up in the arctic too, then surely our diving will be ruined?:(

[Squagnut]

Who said anything about doubling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and why would that be important?

[digitalimpulse]

I will be moving to the west coast from Virginia and I hope I will still have the opportunity to attend future NASA events. I've been to many of your social meet ups but with a relocation to Seattle I will no longer be near the 3 or so Virginia facilities. I enjoy the Earth science work at Goddard does anyone know of any big annual science type events in the PNW? This is really fascinating!

[Waitforitblam]

for clarifacation, it's what we BREATH that produces the co2, the activity is insignificant compared

[meee]

they are a good thing they consume carbon and produce oxygen, this is due to the rise in carbon levels in recent decade and this is a way mother earth keeps life in balance

[yakoffsen]

Excelente hallazgo, habrá de servir para hacerle seguimiento gradual al deterioro creciente que vienen presentando nuestros ecosistemas particularmente en los océanos, como es el caso de la isla basura o sopa de plástico del pacifico.

[badgoodweather]

Climate change? I agree! Its colder than ever before! Its 25 degrees today and snowing in Dallas Texas! Its almost March! I cant imagine how cold it is up there! Wow!

[ttmallard]

A local, long-time marine biologist flying over the newly opened water in the 2007 minimum saw only millions of jellyfish, no other species, the water is at the aragonite dissolution pH throughout the Beaufort Sea and near shorelines.

Losing the ice gained 95, 000-Terawatt•hours that year, ending wasteheat emissions for a Steam Age power plants 250Mwh and larger is a one•time save of 36, 000-Twh ...

[spottyeel]

I totally agree, youtube has spell check and people should use it .I recon spelling, is very important, )also people should reread to make sure its correct( .

[MatthewEMusic]

Oh, and CO2 doesn't kill plants. Plants need it to make sugars during daylight.

[MarcusKiner]

I understand. Being called out on youtube makes you feel the need to back track.