Pigmented algae are well adapted to grow on exposed ice in the Arctic as the snow line recedes, raising concerns of a feedback loop that could lead to faster sea level rise
By Becky Ferreira
19 February 2025
Algae on the Greenland ice sheet absorb light and accelerate melting
Laura Halbach
Dark algae that grow on the surface of Arctic ice sheets are likely to expand their range in the future, a trend that will exacerbate melt, sea level rise and warming.
“These algae are not a new phenomenon,” says James Bradley at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography in Marseille, France. “But if they bloom more intensely, or the bloom is more widespread, then it would be an important thing to consider in future projections of sea level rise.”
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Greenland’s ice sheet, which covers most of the island, is rapidly melting due to rising temperatures, making it the biggest single contributor to sea level rise worldwide.
Ancylonema algae under the microscope Nature Communications
Ancylonema algal species bloom on ice patches, called ablation zones, which are exposed as the snow line recedes on the ice sheet each summer. The blooms darken the ice, reducing its reflectivity and absorbing more heat, thereby enhancing melt in these areas by an estimated 10 to 13 per cent.