The waters twist
in the icy bowels of the Earth,
drifting green whispers
low
frozen blues –
ancient,
but fragile
like breath.
The heat wave descends,
a sudden fire
in the cold expanse,
swelling their ranks.
When the heat recedes,
a silver knife
go through feverish dreams,
recording your destiny
on the living map.
in the silence
life persists,
fragile threads
intertwined
For nature
tingling hands.
This poem is inspired by recent researchwho has investigated how heat waves are affecting Arctic phytoplankton.
As climate change continues, marine heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe, particularly in highly productive Arctic regions. These extreme temperature events significantly affect marine ecosystems, especially primary producers such as phytoplankton. Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web and their responses to temperature changes can have cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. However, understanding of how these small organisms respond to such extreme events remains limited, making it difficult to predict the broader impacts on the ecosystem services they support.
This research focused on Arctic phytoplankton by exposing them to stable warming and repeated heat waves in a controlled experimental environment. Measurements were taken of their productivity, physiology and composition over time. The findings reveal that stable warming generally increases phytoplankton productivity. However, their response to heat waves is more complex and varies depending on the specific heat wave conditions. In particular, the cooling period following a heat wave is as crucial as the warming period in determining overall productivity. This study highlights the importance of considering the warm and cold phases of heat waves to better predict how these events will affect Arctic marine ecosystems. Understanding these dynamics is essential to forecasting the future health and stability of these vital ecosystems in a changing climate.
