Arctic Under-Ice Algae Forest with Luminescent Comb Jellies
arctic under-ice · comb jelly · polar ocean · ice ceiling
An otherworldly underwater photograph beneath polar sea ice in the high Arctic. The underside of the turquoise ice pack is textured with sculpted pressure ridges and stained with golden-brown microalgae blooms, which trap ambient polar sunlight. Suspended in the sub-zero cyan water column, several iridescent comb jellies (ctenophores) drift peacefully, their rows of beating cilia refracting rainbow prismatic pulses of red, green, and violet. Below on the gravel sea bottom, bright red cold-water sea stars and dense patches of brown kelp thrive in the pristine chill. Ultra-wide rectilinear composition, crisp glacial atmosphere, stunning contrast between icy blues and organic bio-refractions.