Global warming affecting Arctic sea ice and biodiversity
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028845
BBC : Arctic sea ice is changing, according to the Norwegian Polar Institute, which launched an expedition to gather data this past winter. Because of global warming, there is now less of the old, multiyear ice that stays frozen from one year to the next and more of the young, thin ice that melts in the summer. US scientists recently reported that Arctic sea ice is at its lowest winter levels since satellite records began in 1979. The Norwegian researchers are also studying the effects on animal populations living underneath the ice, such as crustaceans, amphipods, and copepods. While some will suffer because of the profound changes to their habitat, others will flourish in the increased sunlight. Any changes could have a cascading effect on the larger marine mammals higher up on the food chain.