A team of scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute has made a groundbreaking discovery beneath a 30-kilometre iceberg in Antarctica, challenging existing theories about climate change and the ecosystem’s potential to support new species.
According to Patricia Esquete, chief scientist of the expedition, the researchers found a thriving marine ecosystem teeming with crustaceans, octopuses, sea snails, worms, and fish. The existence of these communities, estimated to be hundreds of years old, raises questions about the discovery of new species in this environment.
The team’s unexpected find was triggered by changes in their expedition plan, allowing them to investigate the iceberg’s depths. The study has shed light on the George VI Ice Shelf, a critical component of the Antarctic Peninsula’s ice mass.
Alison Banwell, lead author and CIRES research scientist, warned that the potential detachment of this ice shelf could accelerate sea level rise, contributing significantly more than other ice shelves in Antarctica.
Source: https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2025/03/31/67ea7a40268e3e0c178b456c.html