Arctic sea ice, as seen from the USCG Healy (IMAGE)
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As the Arctic Ocean warms and sea ice shrinks, will the newly exposed sea surface see a plankton population boom and a burgeoning ecosystem in the open Arctic Ocean? Not likely, say a team of Princeton scientists who have examined the history and supply rate of nitrogen, a key nutrient. Stratification of the open Arctic waters, especially in the areas fed by the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait, will prevent surface plankton from receiving enough nitrogen to grow abundantly. Study co-author Julie Granger sampled water from the Arctic Ocean aboard the US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy.
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Photo by Julie Granger, University of Connecticut
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