Arctic Ice Algae Grow in Nutrient-Rich Pockets in and Under

Arctic ice algae grow in nutrient-rich pockets in and under sea ice.The algae are food for zooplankton, which are eaten by Arctic cod.The cod are eaten by marine mammals such as seals, which in turn are eaten by polar bears.As Arctic temperatures warm and sea ice melts, there is less and less habitat for ice algae.How will this change affect this Arctic food web?

A) Warmer temperatures will allow other algae to grow, so the food web will be unchanged.
B) The food web will become shorter with the removal of ice algae but otherwise unchanged.
C) The food web will be rearranged, with remaining members eating whatever is available.
D) The food web may collapse if ice algae die out, because they are the base of the food web.
E) Zooplankton populations may decline, but other members of the food web will not.

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