A team of geologists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) recently discovered an unknown sponge-like creature at a depth of 900 meters below the Antarctic Felsina Longini Ice Shelf. (Courtesy of BAS)
A British scientific team recently drilled under an ice shelf in West Antarctica and accidentally found unknown sponge-like creatures at a depth of 900 meters below the ice shelf. Scientists also find it unbelievable and hope to explore it in depth in the future.
The Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in the western Weddell Sea is the second largest ice shelf in Antarctica, covering more than 1.5 million square kilometers. The ice shelf is 260 kilometers from the open ocean and more than 300 kilometers from the nearest Food source, while the ice shelf is completely dark underneath, with temperatures permanently at minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. Previously, researchers drilled eight holes in the ice, but did not find much Life.
The Felsina Longini Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea, West Antarctica.
Recently, a team of geologists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) originally drilled a 900-meter deep hole in the ice shelf to collect mud samples, but ended up hitting rocks instead of the originally estimated mud on the sea floor. A mysterious species of creature that resembles a sponge is captured on camera.
As you can see from the film (click to watch), a black rock with many life forms attached to it, including fish, worms and crustaceans and other small mobile creatures. There are even several species never before seen by humans, including stem-like creatures like goldenrod mushrooms and sponge-like creatures.
Recently, a team of geologists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) accidentally discovered unknown sponge-like creatures at a depth of 900 meters below the Antarctic Firchneronian Ice Shelf. (Courtesy of BAS)
Previous theories have suggested that filter feeders like sponges usually have difficulty surviving when far from sunlight and obvious food sources, such as the open ocean, so biologists don’t expect to find too many creatures under the ice shelf, but only a few species that hunt for food, such as fish or crabs.
The study’s lead author, biogeographer Dr. Huw Griffiths, said in a Feb. 15 press release that it was a fortunate discovery that demonstrates the special nature of Antarctic marine life and their surprising resilience to the frozen world.
BAS geologist James Smith added, “We were only going to get sediment from under the ice shelf, so it was a real surprise when we (the camera) came across the boulders and saw images of animals living on them.”
Recently, a team of geologists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) accidentally found unknown sponge-like creatures at a depth of 900 meters below the ice shelf of the Antarctic Philhinalonie. (Courtesy of BAS)
Griffiths, who has been working with BAS for 20 years, speculated that the filter-feeding animals may be a “tough” species that has adapted to Antarctic life, “My guess is that they are probably brand new.” This species may have been specialized to survive in such a difficult environment, “incredibly adapted” to the frozen world, even in the absence of food to survive for weeks, months, or even years.
“This shows that there is life on Earth that doesn’t live by the rules that biologists understand.” Griffiths said there are many unanswered questions, such as how these animals got there, what their diet is, how long they have been rooted here, what would happen to these subglacial habitats if the ice shelf collapsed, etc. “We don’t know anything about this world.”
Griffiths concluded that scientists will have to find “novel and creative ways” to study the Antarctic seafloor in order to further answer the many questions that remain puzzling.
The team’s new findings were published Feb. 15 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Recent Comments