HARSH ARCTIC SEA ENVIRONMENTS. "Extracellular freezing leads to cell dehydration, and the chilling temperatures reduce water absorption. Dehydration caused by high salinities and a low water activity is therefore a major stress factor for ice-trapped organisms. Conversely, when the ice melts, the organisms that are released are suddenly exposed to hyposaline conditions, providing an advantage for those that can adapt to a wide salinity range." http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1567-1364.2007.00209.x/full View in LinkedIn