It forms small pads, with upturned edges where the plates bump into each other. The pads grow in size, reaching a meter or two across. Eventually the pancakes join, forming a plate of white across the water surface. Jagged edges cut across the surface, where the pack ice has broken. Two seals lounge on the pack ice.
Sea ice plays an important role in the ecosystem.
Not only does it serve as a resting place for penguins and seals, but it is critical in the annual cycle of algae growth in Atarctica. Algae are incorporated into the sea ice as it forms in the winter. Photograph courtesy of John Anderson, Rice University . In the spring, it begins to melt back. Even in the spring, however, a broad band of sea ice lies around the continent.