It is not the sea ice that makes the marginal ice zone (MIZ) valuable and vulnerable but rather the ecosystems that are directly or indirectly connected to it. The MIZ is crucially important for a number of species and biological processes. Ecosystems in the ice, the ocean water and the seafloor are linked. Phytoplankton blooms in the MIZ extend a considerable distance south of the ice edge, making this an important feeding area as well.