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Polar Researchers Fearan Ecological Collapse in the Arctic

6 hours ago
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/expedition-to-the-north-pole-polar-researchers-fear-an-ecological-collapse-in-the-arctic-a-640a73ff-0fcc-4593-9ab0-dae85ca146c6
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  • #Climate Change
  • #Ecosystem Collapse
  • #Arctic
  • Polarstern research vessel lost a 150,000-euro research station on Floe 1 as it drifted into Russian waters, making retrieval impossible due to political tensions.
  • The expedition aimed to study Arctic amplification, where temperatures rise 2-3 times faster than the global average, focusing on ice-albedo feedback mechanisms.
  • Biologist Morten Iversen found no ice algae, a keystone species for the Arctic ecosystem, raising concerns about an impending ecological collapse.
  • Rain and rapid ice melt darkened the ice, accelerating the albedo effect and contributing to faster ice loss.
  • The team studied three ice floes representing past, present, and future Arctic conditions, observing significant thinning and breakage.
  • Old ice, crucial for biodiversity, has drastically declined, with pressure ridges disappearing, altering Arctic ecosystems.
  • Pteropods, small marine animals, appear to thrive in the changing Arctic, suggesting ecosystem adaptation.
  • Researchers warn that the Arctic may soon be ice-free in summer, with unpredictable ecological consequences.
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