Guest Author - Kimi Ross

In 1887 a strange new creature was discovered on Muir Glacier in southeast Alaska. This inch long worm lives only on temperate glaciers of the Pacific coast and is found by the millions.

In 1909, Robert Service penned his famous “Ballad of the Ice Worm Cocktail” in which the inhabitants of Dawson trick a newcomer into drinking a cocktail with an ice worm in it in order to obtain the coveted title of “Sourdough” (reserved for those who have survived a northern winter). According to Service, “Their bellies were a bilious blue, their eyes a bulbous red; their back were grey, and gross were they, and hideous of head.” We find out at the end of the poem, that the said worms were actually painted pieces of spaghetti.

While Service may have known the worms were in fact real creatures, his ballad painted them as mythical and in most people’s minds, they have remained such. Blurbs on placemats in Alaska’s restaurants are often perceived as a “tall tale” similar to those told about bird-sized mosquitoes in the state. But if you visit someplace like Portage Glacier, just south of Anchorage, you will find specimens of the worm at the visitor center – and realize they are no myth.

Not much is known about the ice worm, despite the fact that it is closely related to the common earthworm. They are generally brown to black in color and about one inch long. Many people describe them as looking like small threads in the ice. Though they do not have eyes, they are sensitive to light. Ice worms rise to the surface of the ice at night or on shady days and burrow up to six feet deep during the day in order to avoid direct sunlight. Scientists are uncertain how they move through the ice. Some suggest that they follow tiny fissures in the ice that are filled with meltwater; others have suggested that they may secrete some kind of chemical to cut through the ice. There is not a lot of information about how the worms survive in the winter; it is likely they stay buried deep within the ice pack, perhaps in pockets of meltwater, in order to avoid subfreezing temperatures.

The ice worm survives in a narrow band of temperature, ideally, right around freezing (32° F). They do not survive temperatures above 40° F or much below freezing. But it is their ability to adapt in this narrow band of temperature that scientists find fascinating. Researchers have discovered that the ice worms produce a sort of protein in their bodies that is somewhat different from the “anti-freeze” protein found in fishes and amphibians. Rather than preventing the ice crystals from forming, the ice worm has evolved a way to stabilize the ice crystals in their body, preventing crystals from growing and damaging their cells. Scientists hope to apply what they learn about the ice worm physiology to such varied fields as space travel, preservation techniques for transplant organs, life on other planets, and even how to store ice cream for longer without it recrystalizing.

This unique critter of Alaska is celebrated every February with the Ice Worm Festival in Cordova. For three days residents and visitors participate in a festival filled with games, food, and contests. The highlight of the festival may be the parade in which not only does Miss Iceworm appear, but the festival’s namesake as well – the ice worm.