Icebergs are Ecological Hotspots
Scientists have recently discovered that drifting icebergs allow the surrounding water to absorb more carbon dioxide.
BBC writes
US scientists found that minerals released from the melting ice triggered blooms of CO2-absorbing phytoplankton.
These microscopic plants were then eaten by krill (shrimp-like organisms), whose waste material containing the carbon sank to the ocean floor.
It continues:
Using instruments that included a trawl net and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with a video camera, the researchers sampled waters from the ice blocks up to 9km away (5.5 miles).
They found a “substantial enrichment” of minerals, phytoplankton, krill and seabirds in the surrounding water up to 3.7km away (2.3 miles) compared with areas with no icebergs.
This is a very interesting find. I wonder what it means for scientists studying global warming and climate change.
To read the entire article for yourself, click here.
[image via mit]
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