Algae, Lake Baikal and climate change

The average ice depth of the world's largest freshwater lake has decreased in recent decades, and milder temperatures have caused an increase in the ice-free season. As the lake remains frozen for shorter periods, algal growth has slowed down as they are dependent on ice cover for reproduction and growth. Tiny crustaceans are, in turn, affected as algae are their primary food. Subsequently, this affects fish and birds that feed on the crustaceans. Changes in the ice transparency, shifting precipitation and wind patterns also affect crustaceans and even the Baikal seals, the only exclusively freshwater seals in the world. Early melting of ice reduces the animals' fertility as the seals mate and give birth on the ice, says the report.