Sea ice algae - seeding the ice edge pelagic bloom

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

Short‐lived pelagic blooms are commonly observed near the sea ice edge in spring. Though the combination of light availability and stratification is commonly assumed to facilitate the bloom, seeding by sea ice algae may be of great importance. A seasonal study of the pelagic and sympagic algae in Kobbefjord, West Greenland was conducted to elucidate the role of sea ice algae. During the sea ice season, there were indications that some sea ice algae (prasinophytes, the diatom Chaetoceros simplex) remained suspended and viable when released from the sea ice, a prerequisite for an influence on the pelagic. The pelagic bloom at the sea ice edge consisted mainly of small flagellates, which were already present in both sea ice and seawater. Several species which had not previously been observed neither in sea ice nor in seawater – Thalassiosira spp. and Chaetoceros spp. ‐ also contributed to the bloom. Statistical analysis showed that the sympagic and pelagic community were two separate entities, and indicated that the bloom community in Kobbefjord was influenced by pelagic species rather than being seeded by sea ice algae.