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During freezing of seawater, salt is rejected from the ice crystals. The remaining brine solution forms a three-dimensional network of tubes and channels with typical diameters of 200 µm within the ice matrix. Despite the harsh environmental conditions (low light intensities, low temperature, high salinity), a specialised community has developed and adapted to live within the brine channel system. Minute unicellular algae like diatoms are the dominant primary producers.