Pond dwellers have a few nifty ways to combat sub-zero temperatures, and researchers have uncovered some of them.
Even during the warmer months, living on the lake can be challenging, but with the onset of winter comes another major obstacle: ice. When the surface of a body of water freezes, light and oxygen suddenly become extremely limited. This could be a potential threat, but luckily the lake’s inhabitants have mastered some cool survival techniques, writes IFLScience.
In Focus. Technologies emerged telegram channel. Subscribe to avoid missing the latest and most exciting news from the world of science!
metabolic changes
When it comes to winter months, fish are a bit like humans; they become less active. The truth is that they are cold-blooded and therefore when the lake temperature drops, their metabolism slows down.
Researchers found that marine life also took advantage of the somewhat insulating layer of ice on the pond’s surface. When a lake freezes, the relatively warm water beneath the ice condenses and therefore sinks to the bottom, where fish huddle together to survive the winter. Meanwhile, some species, such as gobies, can burrow into soft sediments and hibernate: since they move little, their heart rate decreases, as do their needs for water, food and oxygen.
Note that this behavior is also shown by surface-dwelling animals; they also use similar strategies to survive the winter.
Internal antifreeze
But frozen lakes are home not just to fish, but also to native insects that have incredible ways of surviving even the coldest weather.
Research by scientists has shown that the cells of some insects contain something similar to a “natural antifreeze”: This cryoprotectant is made of special carbohydrates that lower the freezing point of body fluids. This mechanism prevents the formation of ice crystals that would cause insect cells to burst.
Dragonfly larvae and other insects, such as boat flies, produce proteins that help control the freezing process. This helps prevent ice crystals from damaging cells through freeze-drying.
Do lakes need to freeze?
Scientists insist that the process of freezing the lake is actually extremely important. Also known as the lake cycle, the water in the body of water literally turns over and the surface layer becomes hottest in summer and coldest in winter. Previous research has already shown that this process is extremely important for the distribution of oxygen in lake waters, which is essential for life to thrive.
However, when the lake freezes, the situation resembles the “cliche in survival movies”: Oxygen is limited and constantly depleted. This can be corrected by phytoplankton, which absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, but they need light, and there is not enough light in a frozen lake.
Simply put, the process of freezing a lake is extremely important, but if it remains frozen for too long, all life within it will begin to die from lack of oxygen. Given the climate crisis looming over the planet, lakes will probably not freeze for very long, and some will stop freezing altogether. This may seem like a positive thing, but scientists believe this can disrupt the body’s metabolism, which can affect the amount of oxygen and nutrients.
Previously Focus He wrote about how crocodiles escaped the cold by sitting in a completely frozen lake.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.