Sea ice habitat in Arctic Ocean / Photo: Willem Tims, shutterstockSea ice is a unique ecosystem in the Arctic, providing habitat to specialized ice-associated species, including microorganisms, fish, birds, and marine mammals. Many species in the marine and terrestrial environment, as well as human societies and economies are connected to sea ice associated species.
Some examples of sea ice species are:
However, sea ice is undergoing dramatic changes. It is shrinking in size and becoming thinner, resulting in changes in density and concentration. The timing and distribution of ice is changing as well.
Changes in sea ice have implications on:
Sea ice associated seal / Photo: Irina Igumnovaphysical composition and hydrology of sea ice
Observing sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean / Photo: Shutterstock, George BurbaThe Arctic Sea Ice Associated Biodiversity Assessment seeks to summarize the current status and trends of sea ice-associated biodiversity, including direct effects on marine species and indirect effects on terrestrial species.
The project will:
Learn more about the Arctic Sea Ice Biodiversity Project, latest findings and developments and recent publications.
