Tiny algae can photosynthesise and grow in the dark beneath Arctic ice

By Donna Lu

Phytoplankton are microscopic algae that are the base of the marine food chain

NOAA

Marine phytoplankton can grow under thick sea ice in near darkness, converting what little light exists into energy, though it is still unclear how these microscopic algae have adapted to grow in these extreme conditions.

It was previously thought that phytoplankton could not grow in the Arctic until the sea ice began to melt, but Achim Randelhoff at Laval University in Canada and his colleagues found that the microscopic marine algae are able to photosynthesise and grow even in winter, with growth peaking in April …