Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Sympagic
“Sympagic” is an adjective used to describe an ecosystem found in regions with ice and snow. It refers to the communities of organisms whose lives are closely connected to sea ice or glacier ice.
Sympagic organisms include various species of microbe, algae, fungi, animals and bacteria that live in the ice layers or the water layers below. These organisms have adapted to the extremely dark and cold conditions and can play an important part in the nutrient cycle of marine ecosystems. Sympagic communities are also essential for the habitats of marine mammals and birds, which depend on these organisms as a food source. In short, sympagic ecosystems are an important component of the global climate system and play an important part in the regulation of climatic changes and preservation of biodiversity in the Arctic and Antarctic.