Scientists discover a positive aspect of Greenland's melting ice: it feeds ocean life.

It's already a sensation and a reality, year after year, it's getting hotter. And this has numerous effects on us and the environment, and undoubtedly one of the most talked about and cited as an example is the melting of glaciers.

While we have always perceived this as something negative and dangerous to life as we know it, recent research led by US scientists has revealed a lesser-known but positive effect of melting ice in Greenland.

Every summer , huge volumes of freshwater pour into the ocean from active glaciers like Jakobshavn (Sermeq Kujalleq) in Greenland. The freshwater, which is less dense than saltwater, rises and creates vertical currents that ultimately carry essential nutrients (such as nitrate and iron) from the depths of the fjord to the sunlit surface.

This phenomenon triggers a veritable explosion of microscopic life in the ocean, increasing phytoplankton growth by 15% to 40% during the summer in the areas studied. Phytoplankton are microscopic plant organisms that live in water and carry out photosynthesis, producing oxygen and forming the basis of the food chain in aquatic ecosystems.

This creates a domino effect , feeding everything from krill to fish to large marine mammals.

To reach this conclusion, the research team, comprised of members from NASA, MIT, and San Jose State University (USA), used a model called ECCO-Darwin, capable of simulating marine biology, chemistry, and physics with millions of satellite and ocean measurements.

The total amount of nutrient-rich deep water rising can be up to 40 times greater than the original meltwater flow. Not only that, but phytoplankton photosynthesize and capture carbon dioxide , although the climate benefit is limited.

The melting of Greenland ice effectively feeds marine life and stimulates phytoplankton growth by up to 40% in the summer, but it should not be forgotten that it is transforming marine biodiversity and could affect Arctic fisheries and coastal ecosystems under climate change.