(MENAFN) A groundbreaking study spearheaded by the University of Copenhagen has uncovered an unexpected benefit of the melting Arctic sea ice.

According to the Eurasian Review, the process of melting could potentially enhance the Arctic Ocean’s food chain by raising the levels of nitrogen, a crucial nutrient for marine life.

In an unprecedented discovery, an international team of scientists found that nitrogen fixation, a chemical process in which specific bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonium, takes place beneath the Arctic sea ice and even in its central regions.

Ammonium is a nitrogen form that promotes the growth of algae, which are fundamental to the marine food web.

“Until now, it was believed that nitrogen fixation could not take place under the sea ice because it was assumed that the living conditions for the organisms that perform nitrogen fixation were too poor. We were wrong,” stated Lisa W. von Friesen, the study's lead author and former PhD student at the Department of Biology.

The study revealed that the bacteria responsible for nitrogen fixation in the Arctic Ocean differ from the cyanobacteria that dominate this process in warmer regions. Instead, non-cyanobacterial species are involved.

The highest rates of nitrogen fixation were found along the ice edges, where the melting process is most pronounced.

As global temperatures continue to rise and Arctic sea ice recedes, these melting zones are expected to widen, offering more favorable conditions for nitrogen fixation.

“In other words, the amount of available nitrogen in the Arctic Ocean has likely been underestimated, both today and for future projections,” von Friesen explained.

“This could mean that the potential for algae production has also been underestimated as climate change continues to reduce the sea ice cover.”

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