NOAA Arctic Report Card 2024 : Arctic Ocean Primary Productivity: The Response of Marine Algae to Climate Warming and Sea Ice Decline Arctic Ocean Primary Productivity: The Response of Marine Algae to Climate Warming and Sea Ice Decline

Arctic marine primary productivity (the conversion of dissolved inorganic carbon into organic material by photosynthetic organisms) forms the foundation of the marine food web and plays a critical role in global carbon cycling. It is highly sensitive to changes in sea ice cover (see essay Sea Ice), ocean temperature (see essay Sea Surface Temperature), and nutrient availability, all of which are altered by ongoing climate change. Marine primary productivity in the Arctic varies significantly across different regions, influenced by local oceanographic conditions and the timing of sea ice retreat.