Episode 10: Polar Region

Send us a text

In this episode of the podcast, I have talked about the Polar Region. It is a little bit long podcast but you will definitely like it for sure.
Additional Info:
Why are changes in sea ice so important to the polar regions?
Sea ice is a dominant feature of polar oceans. Shifts in the distribution and extent of sea ice during the growing season impacts the duration, magnitude, and species composition of primary and secondary production in the polar regions. With less sea ice many marine ecosystems will experience more light, which can accelerate the growth of phytoplankton, and shift the balance between the primary production by ice algae and water-borne phytoplankton, with implications for Arctic food webs. In contrast, sea ice is also an important habitat for juvenile Antarctic krill, providing food and protection from predators. Krill is a basic food source for many species in polar marine ecosystems.
Changes in sea ice will have other impacts, beyond these “bottom-up” consequences for marine food webs. Mammals and birds utilize sea ice as haul-outs during foraging trips (seals, walrus, and polar bears in the Arctic and seals and penguins in the Antarctic). Some seals (e.g., bearded seals in the Arctic and crabeater and leopard seals in Antarctica) give birth and nurse pups in pack ice. Shifts in the spatial distribution and extent of sea ice will alter the spatial overlap of predators and their prey. According to model projections, within 50 to 70 years, loss of hunting habitats may lead to the elimination of polar bears from seasonally ice-covered areas, where two-thirds of their world population currently live. The vulnerability of marine species to changes in sea ice will depend on the exposure to change, which will vary by location, as well as the sensitivity of the species to changing environmental conditions and the adaptive capacity of each species. More open waters and longer ice-free periods in the northern seas enhance the effect of wave action and coastal erosion, with implications for coastal communities and infrastructure. Although the overall sea ice extent in the Southern Ocean has not changed markedly in recent decades, there have been increases in oceanic temperatures and large regional decreases in winter sea ice extent and duration in the western Antarctic Peninsula region of West Antarctica and the islands of the Scotia Arc.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/realyashnegi
Suggestions are always welcome: [email protected]

Support the show