Single-cell imaging reveals efficient nutrient uptake and growth of microalgae darkening the Greenland Ice Sheet

Laura Halbach (), Katharina Kitzinger, Martin Hansen, Sten Littmann, Liane G. Benning, James A. Bradley, Martin J. Whitehouse, Malin Olofsson, Rey Mourot, Martyn Tranter, Marcel M. M. Kuypers, Lea Ellegaard-Jensen and Alexandre M. Anesio ()
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Laura Halbach: Aarhus University
Katharina Kitzinger: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Martin Hansen: Aarhus University
Sten Littmann: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Liane G. Benning: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
James A. Bradley: Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO
Martin J. Whitehouse: Swedish Museum of Natural History
Malin Olofsson: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Rey Mourot: GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
Martyn Tranter: Aarhus University
Marcel M. M. Kuypers: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Lea Ellegaard-Jensen: Aarhus University
Alexandre M. Anesio: Aarhus University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Blooms of dark pigmented microalgae accelerate glacier and ice sheet melting by reducing the surface albedo. However, the role of nutrient availability in regulating algal growth on the ice remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate glacier ice algae on the Greenland Ice Sheet, providing single-cell measurements of carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) ratios and assimilation rates of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), ammonium and nitrate following nutrient amendments. The single-cell analyses reveal high C:N and C:P atomic ratios in algal biomass as well as intracellular P storage. DIC assimilation rates are not enhanced by ammonium, nitrate, or phosphate addition. Our combined results demonstrate that glacier ice algae can optimise nutrient uptake, facilitating the potential colonization of newly exposed bare ice surfaces without the need for additional nutrient inputs. This adaptive strategy is particularly important given accelerated climate warming and the expansion of melt areas on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56664-6

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