"Russian Arctic waters will become fishing regions"
There is less ice in the northern seas over the years, but the rate of its formation is increasing, which makes navigation difficult. This was told by Vasily Povazhny, head of the O.Y. Schmidt Laboratory of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. At the same time, the amount of phytoplankton and krill has increased in these waters. And commercial fish species will come after it, scientists are sure. In an interview with Vasily Povazhny to Izvestia, he talked about how the appearance of new living organisms in the Arctic Ocean helps to reduce the greenhouse effect.
"Long-term ice fields collapsed and the great Siberian polynya was formed"
— Vasily Vladimirovich, NASA announced that this winter there was a record decrease in ice on the polar caps of the Earth. Do our scientists confirm these conclusions?
— Since we use approximately the same satellite data, the results are similar. However, it is worth adding that, according to our models, the ice situation in the Russian Arctic seas will become more complicated. This is due to the established new ice regime.
The bottom line is that the former multi-year ice fields collapsed and the great Siberian polynya was formed. It extends to the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. Due to the large amount of free water, new ice forms faster in this zone.
Then the wind of the earth tears the ice solder from the shore and drives it north to the central Arctic. Therefore, despite the global decrease in ice, its formation is faster and the transpolar transport of ice is increasing, which creates its own difficulties for navigation. You need to adapt to them.
— Are the same processes taking place in Antarctica?
— In Antarctica, these processes work a little differently. There is no analogue of the great Siberian rivers and the polynya. At the same time, there are also zones off the coast where new ice is forming.
The southern continent is a source of global oceanic circulation. In Antarctica, dense heavy water masses form, which sink to a depth and float near the coast of Canada. This is how the conveyor belt of ocean currents that encircle the globe is launched.
Therefore, this region is also under the watchful eye of oceanologists, meteorologists and other specialists who study the climate.
— What are the consequences of reducing the volume of ice in the Arctic?
— Figuratively speaking, the Arctic used to be black and white. The region consisted of ice reflecting light and water absorbing it. There was almost no life here.
Now brown and green tones have been added to the palette. The first shade is created by rivers, and the second is the flowering of phytoplankton. It occurs due to an increase in the ice-free period. As a result, the upper layers of water absorb more sunlight, and additional heat accumulates in them. This is becoming a factor of biological productivity in the seas. At the same time, scientists note the appearance of vegetation in shallow waters off the coast. First they are microscopic, and then larger algae.
One of the consequences of these processes is that the more organic matter is produced in the Arctic Ocean, the more actively it absorbs carbon dioxide. In this way, carbon is deposited on the seabed and removed from the global cycle. Experts now estimate the Arctic's share in this process at about 5-7% of the global total.
"More life-rich ecosystems are forming in the Russian offshore seas"
— What changes are taking place in the Arctic with the wildlife?
— We are investigating phyto- and zooplankton. These are the smallest plants and animals that do not have their own propellers and are moved only by the force of currents.
Their study is especially important in the Arctic Ocean, because there are almost no large animals here. Moreover, plankton is the main indicator of the state of the ecosystem. And in this sense, a unique situation is developing now.
Previously, the typical picture for the Arctic was that species brought in by warm currents did not reproduce due to harsh conditions and therefore could not gain a foothold in the region. This phenomenon is called pseudopopulation.
However, the situation is changing now, and we can see that krill — zooplankton, tiny crustaceans several millimeters in size - are reproducing well in the northern seas.
— Why is this important?
— Before our eyes, the Arctic is turning from a lifeless desert into a productive system. Experts expect that after the penetration of krill into the northern seas, predators will come — herds of fish, for which these crustaceans serve as a food base. As a result, these waters will become fishing regions.
Previously, only the Barents Sea, which receives warm Atlantic waters, was highly productive. Currently, active life is also observed in the seas to the east of it — the Kara, Laptev, and East Siberian seas. Species of Pacific origin also enter the Chukchi Sea through the Bering Strait.
Thus, more life-rich ecosystems are being formed in the Russian offshore seas, which is beneficial from a commercial point of view.
— What should I do to avoid negative consequences?
— The changes encourage us to monitor them more closely. Our country is one of the leaders of this process. For example, the North Pole ice platform is currently conducting its second expedition in the Arctic. Russian polar explorers are working on it, overcoming the cycle of the polar night.
The research they are doing is extremely significant. Thanks to the data obtained directly during field work, specialists will have the opportunity to verify forecasts that were made based on satellite data and numerical modeling.
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