Less Greenland Ice Changes the Ecosystem

Human emissions of CO2 are in the process of pushing the climate over a so-called tipping point in South-East Greenland. There, conditions in the sea have changed so much that species such as narwhals and walruses have moved, probably for good. At the same time, species such as humpback whales and orcas are moving towards Southeast Greenland in ever greater numbers.

This is shown by a new study published on videnskab.dk, where researchers have compared data on various species with measurements of ice volume and sea temperature over around 200 years. The study focuses on the changes in which species make up the top of the food chain in the ecosystem. This makes it one of the few studies that show clear changes as a result of global warming.

The changes in the environment are particularly visible in the summer when the ice has almost disappeared. The ice has previously attracted species that normally live further south and thrive without too much sea ice. Large numbers of fin and humpback whales, as well as certain fish species, orcas and beluga whales have occupied the ecosystem, especially in recent decades.

At the same time, the walrus and narwhal, which used to live in the area, have become fewer as they move north, where there is more ice.

These are considered the climate tipping points:

Tipping points include significant changes on the globe caused by climate change that are difficult or impossible to reverse once they have occurred, and which will further contribute to a negative development for life on Earth. Examples of tipping points are: Melting of the ice sheet, the death of coral reefs, thawing of permafrost and the Amazon rainforest turning into a savannah.

Source: Earth.org