Scientists examining the seabed under a childbirth iceberg found a notable variety of living creatures, changing notions of how giant ice pieces affect their immediate surroundings.
The scientists investigated a region of the seabed recently exposed by the birth of a gigantic iceberg, to 84, which is as great as Chicago. The team found a community of surprisingly vibrant creatures in the seabed underneath, where A-84 once was linked to an ice shelf attached to Antarctica.
“We did not expect to find such a beautiful and prosperous ecosystem,” said Patricia Esquete, the scientific co -president of the expedition and researcher at the University of Aveiro in Portugal, in a British Antarctic survey release. “According to the size of the animals, the communities we observe have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years.”
Without the 197 -square miles iceberg (510 square kilometers) on the road, the equipment was able to examine the seabed at depths of 4,265 feet (1,300 meters) using the vehicle operated remotely (Rov) Auction. The team found great corals and sponges that support other life forms, including ice cream, giant sea spiders and octopus.
The scientists who made the discovery were part of a team aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too)A 363 -feet container long (111 meters) that regularly reveals hidden details of life at the bottom of the Earth’s oceans. The ship has previously mapped unknown areas of the ocean bottom and even captured the intimate shoes of octopus reproduction.
With the icebergs that cover the seabed, organisms under the shelf cannot obtain nutrients for surface survival. The team raised the hypothesis that ocean currents are a critical driver for life under the ice layers. The team also compiled data in the largest ice layer, whose reduced size refers to animals under it.
“The loss of ice of the Antarctic ice layer is an important taxpayer to the rise to sea level worldwide,” said the other co -president of the expedition, Sasha Montelli, a researcher at the University College London, in the same launch. “Our work is essential to provide a long -term context of these recent changes, improving our ability to make future changes projections, projections that can inform processable policies. Without a doubt, we will make new discoveries as we continue to analyze these vital data.”
Although the ice shelf disappears is worrying, it also creates an opportunity for scientists to explore an area that is otherwise even more difficult to access. Rov auction and R/V Falkor (too) It is almost certain that it will make new discoveries about extreme environments where life annuls existence before their trips come to an end.