Once upon a time, there lived a group of friends named Clio and her friends. They lived in a quiet place far up North, in one of the big oceans surrounding our land, the Arctic Ocean.
The days here were very long, especially during the summer when the daylight lasted for almost six months and illuminated the photic zone. But in winter, darkness reigned and it was very cold all year round. However, Clio and her friends were happy living in such a cold and oligotrophic environment. They were adapted to this environment and the nearby waters helped to make things easier.
Despite being so far North, this place was not isolated. It was connected through two main straits, the the Fram and the Bering Straits, to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This allowed Clio and her friends to receive food supplies from the currents coming from outside, which was important during times of starvation.
Their house was usually covered by sea ice, especially during winter, and was surrounded by tasty algae.
Euphysto, one of Clio’s friends, really liked these algae!
Clio and her friends lived within the water column. Some lived in the depths, some in the sub-surface, and some swam up and down looking for food.
During wintertime, when it was dark all around, some of Clio’s friends, such as Copepito and Euphysto, followed the moonlight as a comet to find food. The best time for our tiny friends was when the warm season arrived. The meltwater rose and supplied lots of nutrients, which meant that the grocery shop was finally OPEN!
As we wait for spring to arrive and enjoy the beauty of the flowers, Clio and her friends anxiously awaited the bloom of algae. Some of these algae were green, some were red, some were blue, and some were even luminescent.
The show was breathtaking!
When summer arrived, Clio and her friends welcomed the newborn and celebrated by swimming happily into the sea. However, midsummer was also a hunting season for them, and Clio was eager to feed!
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