Massive bloom of microbes found beneath Arctic ice

Alaska Dispatch: Scientists have discovered an immense bloom of healthy phytoplankton teeming in the semi-darkness beneath a layer of sea ice in the Chukchi Sea, suggesting that portions of the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska may be 10 times more productive than anyone may have guessed. This surprising diatomic riot -- hidden from satellite monitoring under ice two to four feet thick -- totally outclassed the spring bloom observed in nearby sea exposed directly to the sun. "Depth-integrated phytoplankton biomass...

URL: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/massive-bloom-microbes-found-beneath-arctic-ice
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