Interesting new research indicates their value.
Icebergs Revealed to Be Hotbeds of Biological Activity
By Kimberly Berryman
September 13 - Free-floating icebergs are now thought to be biological hot spots, according to a new study published in Science. Specifically, bergs floating in the Weddell Sea hint at surprising chemical and biological possibilities that were not previously considered.
Scientists who studied drifting icebergs during spring in the Southern Hemisphere found high concentrations of krill, chlorophyll, and sea birds around each berg, supporting the idea that free-floating icebergs continually release micronutrients to the surrounding ecosystems and behave much like estuaries, which supply nutrients to surrounding coastal regions.
The team said that as global warming adds more icebergs to the Antarctic waters each year, their estimated scope of environmental influence is likely to become significant, and icebergs and their associated communities could serve as areas of increased production and sequestration of organic carbon to the deep sea.
