Mention Glacier Bay National and Preserve and you'll conjure visions of rivers of ice coating mountains and a miles long bay rich in marine life and birds. But it also holds rainforests that fill the park's fjords, and within those forests are incredibly diverse ecosystems that scientists are still trying to fully comprehend. One thing they do know, thanks to recent research, is that those rainforests nurture one of the highest concentrations of lichen diversity found on Earth.
So? Well, lichens play an important role in soil creation, but more importantly they trap pollutants. At Glacier Bay, they help filter cruise ship pollution from the air.
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/05/glacier-bay-national-park-holds-one-worlds-greatest-lichen-concentrations
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