Theory 06/Polar & Sea Ice/Under-ice blooms
Blooms Need Light
The claim
Under-ice phytoplankton blooms occur only above a threshold in light transmission, set by snow depth relative to ice thickness.
01Mechanism
Snow attenuates more than ice per unit depth; the ratio determines whether enough light reaches the water column to support net growth.
02Prediction
Bloom occurrence should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Bloom occurrence tracking ice thickness alone would remove snow.