The disappearance of Arctic sea ice will open up more than just a passage for ships: Scientists predict that it also will lead to a large-scale transfer of shellfish, snails, and other animals from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. Writing in the journal Science, researchers say that the movement of species across the pole will resume a migration that came to an end 3 million years ago, during the mid-Pliocene, when colder conditions halted a transfer of mollusks and other marine creatures from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The scientists said that with a largely ice-free Arctic Ocean expected by mid-century, about a third of shallow-water shellfish species in the Bering Sea could potentially spread to the Atlantic. The species transfer is one-way because the North Pacific marine fauna tend to be bigger and stronger and the predominant water flow is northward through the Bering Strait across the pole. The invasion is not expected to destroy native species, but rather to introduce more species, hybrids, and greater competition to the North Atlantic.
Loss of Arctic Sea Ice Means New Era of Species Movement
More From E360
-
Climate
Lightning Strikes the Arctic: What Will It Mean for the Far North?
-
RIVERS
A Win for Farmers and Tribes Brings New Hope to the Klamath
-
Solutions
Deconstructing Buildings: The Quest for New Life for Old Wood
-
NATURAL DEFENSES
How Restored Wetlands Can Protect Europe from Russian Invasion
-
Solutions
Birds vs. Wind Turbines: New Research Aims to Prevent Deaths
-
FORESTS
Cambodian Forest Defenders at Risk for Exposing Illegal Logging
-
OPINION
The ‘Green’ Aviation Fuel That Would Increase Carbon Emissions
-
CONSERVATION
Out of the Wild: How A.I. Is Transforming Conservation Science
-
Energy
China’s Mega Dam Project Poses Big Risks for Asia’s Grand Canyon
-
Solutions
How Natural Solutions Can Help Islands Survive Sea Level Rise
-
INTERVIEW
Will U.S. Push on Seabed Mining End Global Consensus on Oceans?
-
Biodiversity
In Mexico’s ‘Avocado Belt,’ Villagers Stand Up to Protect Their Lands