Both flora and fauna are scarce because of the harsh climate. Vegetation of the sea is mostly represented by diatoms, with more than 100 species. The number of green algae, blue-green algae and flagellate species is about 10 each. The phytoplankton is characteristic of brackish waters. There are about 30 species of zooplankton. The coastal flora mainly is mosses and lichens and a few flowering plants including arctic poppy, "Saxifraga", "Draba" and small populations of polar ("Salix polaris") and creeping ("Salicaceae") willows. Rare vascular plants include species of "Cerastium" and "Saxifraga". Non-vascular plants include the moss genera "Detrichum", "Dicranum", "Pogonatum", "Sanionia", "Bryum", "Orthothecium" and "Tortura", as well as the lichen genera "Cetraria", "Thamnolia", "Cornicularia", "Lecidea", "Ochrolechia" and "Parmelia".