Tracking Arctic sea ice
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "The case of the Arctic's missing ice."
Educator Guide: The Case of the Arctic’s Missing Ice
Cameras, like this one, set up in the Chukchi and Bering seas, record how much light reaches through the melt ponds that sit atop sea ice.
KAREN FREY/CLARK UNIVERSITY
About this guide
In the winter of 2017–2018, sea ice was absent from the Bering Sea and a large mass of cold, salty water that usually pools near the seafloor was AWOL too. Scientists are investigating what caused this break from the typical seasonal pattern and what it means for life in the Arctic. If last year’s events represent a new normal, then a cascade of changes could be in store for the complicated ecosystem that has long thrived in the Bering Sea. “The case of the Arctic’s missing ice” explores the decades-long warming trend in the Arctic and the effects that warming is already having on sea life, including phytoplankton blooms.
This Guide Includes:
Battle the plankton blooms
These discussion prompts ask students to design a strategy for minimizing or mitigating the effects of Arctic phytoplankton blooms for one group of people.
Web of changes
Students will think through and diagram an Arctic and local food web and will explore how ecosystem disruptions can impact the food webs.