New NASA discovery: Researchers funded by NASA were surprised to discover phytoplankton blooms flourishing under thick layers of Arctic ice, upending preconceptions about Arctic ecosystems.

The apparently barren ice of the Arctic can host huge bright green blooms of microscopic plantlike organisms underneath it - all hidden from satellites - suggesting that the Arctic Ocean is far more productive than previously thought, scientists find.
However, it remains unclear whether such fertility could have unexpected downsides for life in the Arctic, researchers said.

The single-celled organisms in question are known as phytoplankton, which possess the green pigment chlorophyll just as plants do, helping them live off sunlight. They are vital to life in the seas, serving as the basic food source for many ocean animals. Indeed, they are key to life on Earth - they account for about half of the total oxygen produced by all plant life..