Recent global warming in the Arctic Ocean predicts shifting of ice-edge to the north, decreasing of sea-ice thickness and surface, and increasing of ice-open areas. This scenario suggests increasing of biological productivity and duration of vegetation period, and intensification of regeneration processes in the sea ice-upper ocean system. However, at present the evidence of impacts of global change on the sea ice ecosystem is sparse or uncertain, though there are fragmentary indications of recent changes. As established now, the biological community response to global change is most likely in the regions, where the sea ice retreat is rather remarkable, e.g., in the region of Beaufort Gyre. Assessment of the recent sea-ice ecosystem dynamic and modeling its potential changes in the Central Arctic Ocean will allow estimating and forecasting potential changes within the sea ice-upper water system and consequent ecological effects on higher trophic levels including birds, marine mammals and benthic organisms.
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Melnikov, I.A. (2009). Recent sea ice ecosystem in the Arctic Ocean: a review. In: Nihoul, J.C.J., Kostianoy, A.G. (eds) Influence of Climate Change on the Changing Arctic and Sub-Arctic Conditions. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9460-6_6
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