Polyna

From Fig. 1 we see that several long N-S leads developed on or about the llth of March and large scale movements were observed in the polyna just NW of Alaska. This pattern remained relatively constant, with considerable movement in the polyna, until 19 March when several more long N-S leads developed.

In addition, a number of smaller areas of the Arctic remain relatively ice-free during a portion of the winter. These ice-free areas or polynas are generally associated with deep ocean currents, wind currents, unique coastline configurations, and/or freshwater drainages.

Polynas play an important role in heat transfer from the oceans to the atmosphere, ice production, the formation of dense shelf water, spring disintegration of sea ice, phytoplankton and zooplankton production, and the distribution of higher trophic animals such as cephalopods, fish, birds, seals, and cetaceans. Within polynas, the oceanic heat loss may be 10–100 times above that of the ice-covered surface.

Researchers now plan to compare their routes with satellite images and see whether the owls stayed around the polynas, where snowy owls have been seen, picking off eiders swimming in the open water.