An expedition crew aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute vessel stumbled upon a surprising discovery when an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off from Antarctica’s George VI Ice Shelf. The team had expected a barren sea floor, far beyond the reach of sunlight, but instead found a lush and diverse marine ecosystem teeming with life.
The first image transmitted from their remotely operated vehicle revealed a large sea sponge with a crab crawling on it, marking the beginning of an extraordinary discovery. Since then, they have documented numerous species, including corals, sponges, fish, giant sea spiders, and octopuses, some potentially new to science.
Despite being in complete darkness, with no sunlight penetrating 1,300 meters beneath the ice, the ecosystem is thriving. Scientists are baffled by this phenomenon, as photosynthesis cannot occur without sunlight. So, what’s powering this region?
The team collected imagery, specimens, and geological samples. To unravel the mystery, they plan to conduct a full morphological study of all observed species and genetic analysis. They suspect dozens may be new to science.
This discovery was serendipitous, but not unexpected given the ongoing melting of Antarctica’s ice sheet due to climate change. The crew took advantage of an unusual opportunity to explore a world hidden under thick ice for thousands of years.
Now, scientists are eager to understand how this ecosystem will evolve in response to its newfound exposure and how it might change over time. The expedition has created a baseline dataset, providing valuable insights into the unique conditions beneath the ice.
As one scientist noted, unraveling the secrets behind this remarkable discovery will help them figure out what makes possible such an array of life in a seemingly inhospitable environment.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/antarctic-ice-expedition-1.7490216