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Scientists have recently noticed a rapid shift in arctic life. Warmer weather has resulted in the melting of substantial amounts of sea ice. With the decreased quantity of sea ice, the algae that grows on this sea ice has begun to disappear. This creates a major shift in the ecosystem of the arctic, as this algae forms the base of the food chain for much of the plant and animal life of the arctic. Scientists fear that without this base, entire systems of plant and animal life in the arctic may disintegrate. The shift has been taking place over the last ten years, but in recent years the speed of the transformation has increased.
New Life in the Artic?
Although the algae has begun to show signs of disappearing from the region, large plankton has begun to thrive due to the warmer weather and lack of ice. As a result, new forms of vegetation have sprung up in quantity. In theory, this could begin a migration of life forms that currently thrive in other regions.
To compound this theory, some areas of northern Russia and along the coast of Alaska have begun to exhibit cooler than normal conditions. This has slowed the growth of vegetation in these regions. If the trend continues, these regions may begin to support much of the life that currently resides in the arctic, causing a massive shift in the planetary ecosystem. Scientists are currently hard at work to find out the cause and possible effect of these changes
