The primary sources of nutrients in the Arctic are river runoff and remineralization processes. However, the local characteristics of coastal ecosystem functioning are strongly influenced by the supply of nutrients from glacial meltwater, particularly in regions where glacier-fed streams interact with the bedrock. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that rocks which form the bedrock of glacial streams, such as sandstones, siltstones, shales and carbonates, can serve as significant sources of nutrient elements (notably nitrogen and silicon) for coastal ecosystems. Laboratory experiments involving the exposure of representative rock samples to distilled water for up to 30 days demonstrated a measurable increase in nutrient concentrations. The observed leaching rates for nitrate nitrogen and dissolved silicon reached up to 7.9 micromoles per square meter per day and 30.7 micromoles per square meter per day, respectively, in the most reactive samples (these were sandstone from Stepovogo bay and siltstone from Blagopolychia bay). The results indicate that the release of nutrient elements from glacial bedrock, particularly during periods of enhanced meltwater runoff, can contribute significantly to the balance of nutrients and primary productivity of Arctic coastal ecosystems.