Spring phytoplankton communities in the water column of Ellis Fjord are characterized by diatoms originating from the bottom sea-ice strand community. Upon ice breakout in early summer, these are replaced by blooms of the phytoflagellates, Phaeocystis pouchetii, Cryptomonas cryophila, Pyramimonas gelidicola, silicoflagellatcs and dinoflagellates. The narrow entrance of the fjord and the development of summer stratification is probably limiting the availability of nutrients and containing the magnitude of the small bloom (maximum 2.8 × 106 cells l−1).