Arctic Ice harbors gliding Algae at record low temperatures

Arctic ice harbours gliding algae at record low temperatures (Image: Space)

What happens when life is locked in ice? For decades, scientists assumed Arctic algae sat dormant, waiting for spring melt. But a Stanford team has now shown that these glass-shelled cells are anything but still.

Working aboard the ice-breaking research vessel Sikuliaq, researchers drilled cores from the Chukchi Sea and uncovered diatoms gliding through microscopic channels in the ice, even at −15°C.

The secret lies in their biology. These algae release a sticky mucilage that clings to nearby surfaces. Actin and myosin, the same molecular motors that help human muscles contract, then pull the cells along.

Who conducted this study?

Manu Prakash, associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford, and lead author Qing Zhang of the Prakash Lab spearheaded the work. The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on September 9, 2025.
Evidence came in the form of a 45-day scientific expedition that was carried out in summer 2023. Shipboard scientists collected and experimented with ice samples both at sea and then under conditions in a laboratory, in which freezing conditions were replicated in order to test cells’ abilities.

What makes this discovery significant?

Until now, scientists also believed that organisms trapped in polar ice experienced stasis, waiting out a winter thaw. Instead, this discovery confirms life can survive actively under conditions much colder than scientists imagined. That means diatoms might be contributing to Arctic systems year-round, helping to recycle nutrients, fuel food chains, and even affect sea ice melt and freezing.

How do the diatoms move?

Rather than by swimming, the diatoms secrete sticky mucilage. The mucilage sticks firmly onto neighbouring frozen substrata. The diatoms use actin-myosin proteins propelling internal motors. Human muscles contract by similar sets of molecular proteins. The diatoms pull forward like rope-climbing mountaineers. Arctic species sometimes moved faster than temperate relatives. The action shows specialised adaptation to extreme cold.