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Icebergs are freshwater pieces of ice floating in salt water oceans. As summer melts the icebergs, the fresh water may accumulate in a pocket in the middle of an iceberg. Phytoplankton, generally diatoms, thrive on the freshwater and blossom in the sun. The green color is from photosynthesizing organisms containing chlorophyll.
Often as the ship passed by icebergs, I would see seals laying on the top of the iceberg, drinking the freshwater trapped in the middle. Phytoplankton are the primary producers in the Antarctic food web. They are food for Krill and other zooplankton.
Photo by: Nydia R. Hanna, MV Marco Polo, December 30, 1995 |
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