Introduction
The Arctic Ocean is ranked as the shallowest and smallest ocean globally. According to Jamieson (2015), it is located in the Northern Hemisphere surrounded by North America and Eurasia. Amongst the world’s five major oceans, Arctic Ocean is the least saline. The low salinity levels are due to low evaporation, limited connection to other oceans and high inflow of fresh water from neighboring streams and rivers (Jamieson, 2015). Part of the ocean is covered by sea ice all year round and almost completely during winter. As the sea ice melts and freezes, the salinity and surface temperature of the ocean varies. The paper studies the demographic and physical characteristics of the Arctic Ocean.
Weather
Arctic Ocean is found in a polar climatic region characterized by a narrow annual temperature ranges. During winter seasons, the region is persistently cold and is largely characterized by frequent low-level temperature inversions, extreme cold and polar nights. During the summer season, the region experiences continuous daylight with temperature well above the melting point. Summers are usually characterized by frequent cyclones, which may bring about snow or rain. The region is also cloudy year-round, having a mean cloud cover of 60% during winters and 80% during summer (Alexander et al., 2018). At the surface of the Arctic Ocean, temperatures are fairly constant, ranging within the freezing point of seawater. It is important to note that amount of Arctic ice pack covering the Arctic Ocean varies according to season. Thus, the Arctic Ocean is located in a region that predominantly boasts of cold weather during winter and warmer temperatures during summer.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Animals
Arctic Ocean serves as a home to numerous endangered marine species. The region is home to 12 species of marine mammal including: the walrus, 4 species of whales and about 6 species of ice-associated seals. Other types of marine mammals found in Arctic Ocean include the Harbor Porpoise, Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin whales, Blue Whales and Sperm Whales. All these marine mammals act as predators that feed on prey on or in the sea. Apart from the marine mammals, polar bears are quite common in the Arctic Ocean region. These large mammalian carnivores spend most of their lives on sea ice hunting for seals. However, decline of sea ice in the region due to global warming has led to a reduction of the polar bear population (Jamieson, 2015). Scientists characterize the region as a fragile ecosystem that is slow to adopt to new changes and sluggish to recover from damage. For instance, a species of gunnel referred to as the banded gunnel is only found in the Arctic Ocean. Therefore, numerous endangered marine species are found in the Arctic Ocean, as well as land mammals such as polar bears.
Plants
The phytoplankton is one of the few plants found in the Arctic Ocean. The region has relatively little plant life due to the harsh climate witnessed in the region. For instance, the Arctic Circle receives less than three hours of sunlight in the month of January. The mid-arctic region does not receive sun for three months starting October. The North Pole experiences no sunlight for about six months beginning September (Struzik, 2015). Plants are highly dependent on sunlight for photosynthesis, thus absence of sunlight interferes with plant growth. However, the massive amounts of the phytoplankton plant species found in the region play a crucial role in the ocean by feeding on nutrients from rivers and tides of the neighboring pacific and Atlantic oceans (Michel et al., 2015). Extended sun durations during the summer allow the phytoplankton to photosynthesis and reproduce rapidly. However, the reverse happens during periods of long winters when the plants can barely get enough light to survive.
People
People of the Arctic include indigenous populations and more recent arrivals. Presently, there are about 4 million people spread across various region. In most of these region, indigenous people constitute a little percentage of the total population. Anthropologists and archeologists strongly believe that indigenous people of the Arctic have resided in the region for a period not less than twenty thousand years. European explorers were the most recent arrivals into the region, having arrived between the 18 th and 19 th centuries (Struzik, 2015). Arctic people now live in modern cities and towns while a small portion of the population reside in small villages. They have also come up with clever ways of adopting to the harsh climatic conditions, that is by developing special kind of clothes and dwellings that protect them from cold weather.
Ecosystem
A single, integrated and dynamic ecosystem is found in the Arctic Ocean. However, it is not completely isolated from the rest of the world. The land around the Arctic Ocean is covered by numerous glaciers that form glacial fingers. Deep snow blankets are found near the ocean but reduce as one progresses towards the continental land masses. On the land surrounding the ocean, female polar bears create their snow lairs. Wolf and fox usually scavenge while the reindeer and musk ox scratch for fodder. Changes in the seasonal cycle lead to high temperatures and subsequent melting of snow and ice. As a result of this, large volumes of water flow into the Arctic Ocean lowering both the salinity and temperature of the ocean (Horn, Schauer & Rabe, 2016). Migrating ducks, geese, waders and reindeer migrate into the region to fed on emerging plants and insects. As water circulates within the Arctic Ocean it moves to the warmer regions through narrow exits into the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. The movement causes seals and whales to move northwards thereby providing food for polar bears. As the temperature continues rising, the soil melts leading to formation of an active layer consisting of insect larvae and other microorganisms that assist in decomposition of organic matter (Stroeve et al., 2014). Therefore, Arctic Ocean ecosystem consists of a variety of animals, plants and microorganisms that are both found in the ocean and the land surface adjacent to it. In addition, Arctic Ocean’s ecosystem is sensitive to seasonal changes and temperature variation.
Conclusion
The study has reported that Arctic Ocean is located in the polar climatic region of the world characterized by persistently low temperatures. However, at certain times of the year, that is during summer season, the region experiences higher temperatures. The region is home to different types of animals such as polar bears and a wide variety of marine mammals including the walrus, whales and seals. Activities of these mammals are influenced by seasonal changes. The Arctic Ocean ecosystem is highly dynamic and integrated consisting of a wide variety of animals and plants. The area that seems to interest me most in this research is the number of plants found in the Arctic Ocean and the massive amounts of phytoplankton plant species that naturally occur in the region. I opine that other than the phytoplankton, other plants would find it hard to survive in the region due to insufficient sunlight.
References
Alexander, M. A., Scott, J. D., Friedland, K. D., Mills, K. E., Nye, J. A., Pershing, A. J., & Thomas, A. C. (2018). Projected sea surface temperatures over the 21 st century: Changes in the mean, variability and extremes for large marine ecosystem regions of Northern Oceans. Elem Sci Anth , 6 (1).
Horn, M., Schauer, U., & Rabe, B. (2016, June). Freshwater covariability in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Jamieson, A. (2015). The hadal zone: life in the deepest oceans . Cambridge University Press.
Michel, C., Hamilton, J., Hansen, E., Barber, D., Reigstad, M., Iacozza, J., ... & Niemi, A. (2015). Arctic Ocean outflow shelves in the changing Arctic: A review and perspectives. Progress in Oceanography , 139 , 66-88.
Stroeve, J. C., Markus, T., Boisvert, L., Miller, J., & Barrett, A. (2014). Changes in Arctic melt season and implications for sea ice loss. Geophysical Research Letters , 41 (4), 1216-1225.
Struzik, E. (2015). The Arctic Ocean. In Future Arctic (pp. 43-57). Island Press, Washington, DC.
