Anchor Ice - Biological Effects

Biological Effects

Especially in the Antarctic, anchor ice has been implicated in drastic zonation of the subtidal fauna. Many animals are directly affected by the growth of anchor ice, and certain sponges have been shown to readily grow anchor ice and to be damaged by it. Anchor ice may also grow on animate or inanimate objects and lift them from the sea floor. In the Antarctic this will most likely result in the death of an organism, since during much of the year the ocean is covered by annual sea ice, and the organism is likely to become incorporated into this.

Many organisms have actually been found on the surface of ice shelves in certain places in the Antarctic, likely due to the anchor icing phenomenon:

• Organism accumulates anchor ice as it is bathed in supercooled water.
• Organism becomes positively buoyant due to the accumulation of ice, and it lifted from the sea floor.
• Organism floats to the underside of the ice shelf or sea ice cover where it freezes in.
• Ablation of the surface of the ice cover and additional growth of ice on the underside will result in the organism being transported "through" the ice and "deposited" on the surface, largely intact.