ANGELINA
Ice platforms in the Arctic are a critical resource for the survival of Arctic animals. Seal pups nurse and rest on the ice platforms for the first six weeks of life. Recent data suggests that warming sea water and air temperatures will melt 20 percent or more of the Arctic sea ice over the next 40 years, disrupting the Arctic food web.
Partial Arctic Food Web
Polar bear
Killer whale
Seal
Arctic birds
Arctic cod
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Based on the partial Arctic food web, melting sea ice might lead to a decrease in the number of
seal pups, as they rely on the ice platforms for nursing and resting. This decrease in seal pup population can have a cascading effect on the rest of the Arctic food web.
Without enough seal pups, the polar bears, which rely on seals as their main food source, may struggle to find enough food. This can lead to a decrease in the polar bear population and affect their overall health and survival.
The decrease in seal population can also impact killer whales, as they also prey on seals. If there is a reduced availability of seals, killer whales may need to find alternative food sources or face competition with other predators for limited prey resources.
The disruption of the seal population can also affect Arctic birds, as they rely on the availability of prey, such as fish and small invertebrates, which are indirectly reliant on a healthy seal population.
Additionally, a decrease in seals can lead to a decrease in Arctic cod, as seals are one of the main predators of Arctic cod. Arctic cod are an important food source for many larger predators in the Arctic, including polar bears and killer whales, as well as for other marine organisms.
The decrease in Arctic cod can also have an impact on zooplankton, as they feed on phytoplankton and small aquatic organisms, including Arctic cod larvae. This disruption in the food chain can have far-reaching consequences on the overall marine ecosystem in the Arctic.
Overall, the melting of sea ice and the subsequent decrease in seal populations can have a wide-ranging impact on the Arctic food web, affecting multiple species and potentially disrupting the delicate balance of this fragile ecosystem.