A Chicago-sized iceberg recently broke away from Antarctica, giving scientists the chance to explore a portion of the sea floor that may have been hidden for centuries.
ANTARCTICA – A Chicago-sized iceberg recently broke away from Antarctica, giving scientists the chance to explore a portion of the sea floor that may have been hidden for centuries.
When an iceberg named A-84 broke off from the George VI Ice Shelf on Jan. 13, the crew of R/V Falkor (too) of the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) was already nearby and traveled to investigate the footprint the iceberg left behind.
“Being right there when this iceberg calved from the ice shelf presented a rare scientific opportunity,” said Schmidt Ocean Institute Executive Director, Dr. Jyotika Virmani. “Serendipitous moments are part of the excitement of research at sea – they offer the chance to be the first to witness the untouched beauty of our world.”
Over 200 square miles of seafloor were revealed, giving researchers a treasure trove of opportunities to learn about the geology, physical oceanography and biology of an area never before seen by humans, according to the SOI.
Photos from their 8-day expedition show their discoveries, including large corals and sponges that were home to a wide range of animals, such as icefish, giant sea spiders and octopus.
The team may have also discovered several new species of organisms.
“The discovery offers new insights into how ecosystems function beneath floating sections of the Antarctic ice sheet,” SOI officials said.
They noted that the expedition was the first detailed, comprehensive and interdisciplinary study of such a large area that had been hidden beneath a floating ice shelf.
The remnants of a massive iceberg calving event are seen from Research Vessel Falkor (too).
(Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute / FOX Weather)
“We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below,” said expedition co-chief scientist Dr. Patricia Esquete of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and the Department of Biology (DBio) at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. “We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem. Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years.”
The ability of these animals to survive in such a remote area is a point of curiosity for scientists, particularly how they can thrive despite having nearly 500 feet of ice covering them for hundreds of years and cutting them off from surface nutrients. So, they surmise that they are receiving nutrients from the sea.
“Ocean currents also move nutrients, and the team hypothesizes that currents are a possible mechanism for sustaining life beneath the ice sheet,” the SOI said. “The precise mechanism fueling these ecosystems is not yet understood.”