Arctic Ice Food Chain Is Being Altered; Scientists Say It Is Unpredictable

As the global warming continues to hit, different countries are being affected. Current research shows that the food chain in the Arctic Ice has been altered due to changes in the atmosphere.

The Arctic Ocean may not be the ideal place for people to go because it is forbidden and remote. But, for whales, birds and other animals that are found or near the area, it is where they get their food.

A biological oceanographer from Standford University shared that, "It's a great place to get food in the summertime. So, animals are flying or swimming thousands of miles to get there," according to the Society of Environmental Journalist.

However, the food chain is now changing. Scientists reported on Wednesday that the global warming is changing the ecology. They have found that the ecology has been altered on a huge scale.

A look at the loss of thicker (usually older) #Arctic sea ice in Octobers from 1979-2016 (PIOMAS, ice < 1.5 meters masked black) pic.twitter.com/BtHCwVUdKk

— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) November 14, 2016

Annually, the production of algae, which is the base of the food web, increased at more or less 47 percent between the years of 1997 to 2015, according to Danish Meteorological Institute. Every year the ocean is turning green at an increasing rate.

For the animals such as seals, birds, whales and birds, the changes are more likely to have a deep impact as they are up to the food chain. However, the scientists still need further research as they have a little knowledge with regard to the biology of the Arctic Ocean. They cannot predict what the ecosystem will look like in the coming decades.

An oceanographer at Université Laval in Quebec, Marcel Babin, said that "It is probable it will have an impact on the whole food web." Given that scientists cannot yet predict the ecological effects, as reported by New York Times.

Thus, Dr. Arrigo added, "It's going to be a different Arctic unless we turn things around."