The shelf seas, ice edges and polynyas (areas of open water surrounded by ice) are seasonally highly biologically productive ecosystems, also due to the influence of circulating and mixing water layers.
还由于环流和混合的水层的影响，陆架海、冰棱、冰间湖（被冰环绕的地表水）是随着季节的变化在生物方面富有生产力的生态系统。