Why are some glaciers covered in these tiny little worms?
When you think of glaciers, you might not think of a diverse ecosystem, but if you look closely, there is an array of life in these harsh environments, and at the centre of it all are tiny black worms, called ice worms.
There is very little known about these worms, except that glaciers offer the ideal environment for them, as they thrive at water's freezing temperature but can't handle anything below 0 degrees.
These tiny ice worms are enchytraeid annelids of the genus Mesenchytraeus (Photo credit: Scott Hotaling).
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They are also an integral part of the glacier food web, feeding off algae and being a source of food for songbirds.
But a lot about these ice worms is still unknown, and as climate change is causing glaciers to recede at an extraordinary pace, time might be running out.
Watch the video above to learn more.
