Annual cycles of sea ice and phytoplankton in Cape Bathurst polynya, southeastern Beaufort Sea, Canadian Arctic

The relationship between the dynamics of sea ice and phytoplankton abundance were investigated for the Cape Bathurst polynya region of the Canadian Arctic using five years (1998-2002) of satellite data from SSM/I and SeaWiFS. The Cape Bathurst polynya exhibited marked interannual variability in sea ice dynamics, both in the timing of initial polynya formation and in the extent and persistence of open water. Related to this, although all years exhibited two distinct phytoplankton blooms, these also varied in their intensity and timing. Generally, the late bloom of each year was the most intense, after surface waters had stratified in summer. Blooms were most intense in spring 1998, following anomalous warming and early stratification, and late summer 2002, following a summer ice melt event. Changes in the timing of phytoplankton bloom development in polar waters can impact food web structure and the relative importance of top-down versus bottom-up control of marine ecosystems.