What is beyond the ice? A glimpse into fascinating Arctic marine wildlife
OPINION: Besides iconic creatures like polar bears and whales, the Arctic Ocean is home to 240 types of fish, 50 species of sea stars and 50 species of jellyfish. Getting to know them is the first step toward conserving their habitats.
By Martina MüllerMarch 8, 2018
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If we want to protect nature, we have to know it first.
Little known to most people, the Arctic Ocean and its seas are teeming with life — from big mammals, such as whales and seals, to tiny creatures like the sea angels. These remarkable inhabitants include more than 240 types of fish, 50 species of sea stars and 50 species of jellyfish.
This online exhibition of photos obtained from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration features a small sample of the abundant Arctic marine wildlife, from more familiar animals to only recently discovered ones. It aims to give the viewer a glimpse into the waters of the Arctic Ocean and what is at stake in terms of environmental protection there.
Currently, less than 5 percent of the Arctic’s coastal and marine areas are under any type of environmental protection, making the Arctic Ocean the least protected ocean of the world. But it faces increasingly visible environmental threats caused by humans: Climate change is causing the ice caps to melt and the ocean water to acidify, while expanding commercial fishery and cargo shipping made possible by the disappearing ice leads to water pollution. In addition, oil and gas drilling is picking up in the region, threatening fragile habitats.
From Inuit to Norwegian communities, the Arctic Ocean has been an integral part of human life, providing food and livelihood for millions of people living in this extreme environment. We invite you to get to know some other beings that call the Arctic their home!
Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are gregarious, usually forming groups of up to 10 individuals. Their all-white color shows how this species is adapted to life up north, living in the Arctic Ocean and the seas and coasts around North America, Russia and Greenland. It is currently listed as near-threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A beluga whale pod in the Chukchi Sea in 2008. (Laura Morse / NOAA)
Ribbon Seals (Histriophoca fasciata) are found in the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the North Pacific Ocean. These uniquely colored animals, with four white strips contrasting the predominantly dark fur, live in open water most time of the year, hauling out to pack ice during winter and spring to breed, give birth and molt. A ribbon seal in Kamchatka, Russia in 2006. (Vladimir Burkanov / NOAA)
Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are famous for the long tusks protruding from their mouth, which gave them the nickname of “sea-unicorns.” During winter, they spend up to five months in the water under the ice. Narwhals have historically been intensely hunted in Greenland and Canada, but monitoring and management programs have been introduced in the near past. A pod of narwhals. (Kristin Laidre / NOAA)
The Arctic Cod (Arctogadus glacialis) is found in the entire north polar region, being one of the most abundant fish in the region, probably due to its great adaptability to different temperatures, grades of salinity and turbidity. Nevertheless, it depends on the sea ice habitat in its early life stages. An Arctic Cod takes shelter under the pack ice. (Shawn Harper / University of Alaska Fairbanks / NOAA)
Pink Snailfishes (Elassodiscus tremebundus, among others) are found deep down in Arctic waters near the seabed. Little studied up to now, not much is known about their biology. With no scales on their bodies, they have a thin and gelatinous skin. Snailfishes usually feed on small crustaceans, mollusks, worms and other invertebrates. A pink snailfish at around 2,000 meters depth. (Arctic Exploration Remotely Operated Vehicle / NOAA)
Arctic Skates (Amblyraja hyperborea) are deep-water animals found mainly in the North Atlantic, living at temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and feeding on animals found on the bottom of the sea. Although sometimes taken as bycatch in deepwater trawls, this species does not face current or potential threats. An Arctic skate in the Chukchi Borderlands. (The Hidden Ocean 2016 / NOAA / UAF / Oceaneering-DSSI)
This jellyfish (undescribed species) was first spotted by scientist in a 2005 expedition, and in a 2016 expedition by NOAA multiple specimen have been collected and underwater videos were made to study this ctenophore further and attempt to describe the species. Until a scientific name is defined, it is affectionately being called Mr. Pumpkin. (The Hidden Ocean 2016 / NOAA / UAF / Oceaneering-DSSI)
Sea Angels (Clione limacina), also known as sea butterflies, are shell-less sea snakes widespread in the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean and parts of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. Adults feed mostly on two related species, Limacina helicina and Limacina retroversa. Clione beneath the Arctic ice. (Kevin Raskoff / NOAA)
Martina Müller is a Master in Public Policy candidate at Harvard Kennedy School as a Louis Bacon Environmental Leadership Fellow. She is a lawyer originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has been working on biodiversity and climate change at the international and sub-national level.
Acknowledgement: Müller thanks NOAA for makings its media available for public use.
This piece is one of a series of op-eds written by student-scholars of the Arctic Innovators Program at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Arctic Initiative.You can read the full series on this site.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by Arctic Today, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary (at) arctictoday.com.
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This piece is one of a series of op-eds written by student-scholars of the Arctic Innovators Program at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Arctic Initiative. You can read the full series on this site.