Climate change impacts on sea-ice ecosystems and associated ecosystem services

Retreating sea-ice is one of the most visible consequences of climate change and associated impacts on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystems have so far received little attention. The Biogeochemical Exchange Processes at Sea-Ice Interfaces (BEPSII) community performed a rigorous synthesis of the sea-ice ecosystem and linked ecosystem services and associated climate change impacts. The synthesis highlights that the sea-ice ecosystem supports all four ecosystem service categories, that sea-ice ecosystems meet the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, that global emissions driving climate change are directly linked to the demise of sea-ice ecosystems and its ecosystem services; and that the sea-ice ecosystem deserves specific attention in the evaluation of marine protected area planning.

Reference: Steiner, N. S., Bowman, J., Campbell, K., et al. (2021). Climate change impacts on sea-ice ecosystems and associated ecosystem services. Elementa-Sci. Anthrop., 9(1), 2-55. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00007.