It always makes me happy to see world-class, professional scientists do an experiment that I could imagine trying to recreate, in a small way, with students or Museum visitors. The two scientists I mentioned before, Howon and Janghan, who are studying the depth that sunlight reaches into the ocean, allowed me to join them as they conducted one of their experiments. When the ship stopped at a “station,” they dropped this white, weighted disk (called a secchi disk) attached to a rope into the water. Feeding more rope so the disk went deeper, they noted when it was no longer visible and used markings on the rope to see that it was 22 meters deep. They’ll do this at every station in the morning, to have a direct comparison for measurement at the same time of day (they’ll note the degree of sun or cloudiness as well). Then they will use water samples taken at 100% light (meaning at the surface), 50% (11 meters deep), 30%, 12%, 5%, and 1% (when the disk nearly disappeared at 22 meters), and study phytoplankton levels and growth. Phytoplankton are primary producers (meaning they make their own energy and produce oxygen via photosynthesis), and then they are consumed by the next level on the food chain. So this seemingly simple experiment with a rope and a disk has incredibly meaningful and complex implications for the Arctic. Back in Miami, you or anyone who lives near a lake, pond, or ocean, can run a similar experiment, that I hope would inspire you to learn more about the science and implications for your backyard.
Hi. I’m in Ms.Gilbert class. How deep is the Arctic ocean? Also are there volcanoes under the Arctic ocean? If so, have they caused the ice to decline?
Dear Eduardo, I am not a volcanologist, but there have not been underwater volcanoes found in the Arctic. I believe there is underwater volcanic activity off the coast of Alaska, where the sea is frozen over in the winter, but even on the very rare occasion when that might happen, it is mainly a very “local” effect, and not a larger effect that would impact all of the Arctic ice.
Hello! I’m a sudent in Ms. Gilbert’s class and was wondering how studying the development of phytoplankton at different levels on the ocean’s surface will help predict or study patterns in the ocean’s ecosystem?
Hi Josselyn, wow, great question. Phytoplankton are primary producers in the ocean, meaning they produce their own oxygen and are the very base of the food chain. So, by looking at the levels where phytoplankton are, and looking at other parameters in that area (like temperature, salt content, and the amount of light that reaches that level), we can see what kinds of factors affect them – and therefore affects most everything else!