In years that the polynya did not open to such a large extent, phytoplankton blooms were minimal, and primary productivity was consequently lower. The annual event of the Ross Sea polynya provides insight into how polar regions interact with and potentially influence larger climate systems. Whether or not the polynya opens each year depends on several factors. The distribution and condition of sea ice reflects changes in wind speed and direction, changes in atmospheric and ocean temperature, and changes in weather patterns. Carbon cycling in the Ross Sea is more than a modelling scheme component.
Primary productivity is vital to marine life.
Algae require open water to bloom, so when the polynya does not open, the marine food chain is interrupted. D unbar plans to continue studying Antarctic carbon cycling using similar techniques, and will continue to rely on sea ice data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Carbon uptake in Antarctic phytoplankton blooms may seem a small factor in global carbon cycling, but Dunbar insists that it is necessary to understand as many components in the process as possible in order to come up with a complete picture of climate change. Dunbar, R. B., A. R. Leventer, and D. A. Mucciarone. 1996. Atmospheric and sea ice forcing.