Imarmiutat • Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton, also referred to as algae, are photosynthesizing microscopic organisms that inhabit the upper sunlit layer of almost all oceans and bodies of fresh water. Because they turn sunlight energy into stored energy that is then used throughout the rest of the food web, they are the “primary producers” of the entire arctic ecosystem. Polynyas are particularly important for the growth of Phytoplankton because they are the first to melt in the spring. Sunlight reaches open water and abundant nutrients due to thermohaline circulation promote the production of phytoplankton, which form the base of the Arctic food chain. Early spring blooms of phytoplankton promote abundant growth of zooplankton, followed by fish and other organisms such as whales, seabirds, and polar bears at the top of the food chain. Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. However, when present in high enough numbers, some varieties may be noticeable as colored patches on the water surface due to the presence of chlorophyll within their cells and accessory pigments in some species. There are many different types of phytoplankton grouped into different categories. Some of the major groupings include: Diatoms, Cyanobacteria, Dinoflagellates and Coccolithophorids.

Photo Credit: Assorted diatoms as seen through a microscope. These specimens were living between crystals of annual sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. by Prof. Gordon T. Taylor, Stony Brook University, (n.d.). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diatoms_through_the_microscope.jpg. Licenced with Public Domain.