Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
As the Arctic emerges from winter darkness, polar bears, arctic terns, and musk oxen reappear. Algae also bloom on the ice, significantly affecting its ability to reflect sunlight and accelerating melting.
These algal blooms darken the ice, reducing its reflectivity, and contributing to faster melting, thereby exacerbating global warming.
Researchers, led by Laura Perini from Aarhus University, have found giant viruses living alongside algae on the ice. These viruses might help control the algal blooms and reduce ice melting.
Unlike typical viruses, giant viruses can grow up to 2.5 micrometres, larger than most bacteria, and have extensive genomes with around 2.5 million letters.
Though giant viruses were first identified in the ocean in 1981, this is the first time they have been found on surface ice and snow dominated by pigmented microalgae.
Perini and her team found active giant viruses in dark ice and red snow samples, indicating a rich ecosystem with bacteria, fungi, yeasts, protists, and giant viruses interacting with algae.
Despite detecting DNA and mRNA of giant viruses, scientists still need to observe them directly to understand their role and interactions within the ecosystem.
Researchers continue to study these giant viruses to unravel their exact functions. Further information is expected later this year, with hopes of understanding their potential to mitigate algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet.