Glacier retreat alters downstream fjord ecosystem structure and function in Greenland

Abstract The melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is accelerating, with glaciers shifting from marine to land termination and potential consequences for fjord ecosystems downstream. Monthly samples in 2016 two fjords southwest show that subglacial discharge marine-terminating sustains high phytoplankton productivity dominated by diatoms grazed larger mesozooplankton throughout summer. In contrast, land-terminating results a ecosystem bacteria, picophytoplankton smaller zooplankton, which has only one-third annual half CO 2 uptake compared downstream glaciers.