Scientists Find a Hidden 'Fish City' Beneath Antarctica's Ice
Scientists exploring the seabed beneath the former Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica have discovered a massive 'fish city' consisting of thousands of yellowfin notothenioid nests. The discovery provides new insights into Antarctic marine ecosystems and supports arguments for increased environmental protection.
Why it matters
The findings offer a rare look at deep-sea biodiversity and highlight the ecological importance of regions exposed by climate-driven ice shelf collapse.
Add ScienceAlert on Google (Weddell Sea Expedition 2019) In 2017, a gigantic iceberg designated A-68 split from the Larsen C ice shelf, giving scientists a unique opportunity : access to an extensive region of the seabed that had previously been hidden away under the ice .
Researchers from institutions in the UK seized that opportunity and discovered something that's never been seen before, which they have reported in a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science .
Via a remote submersible camera, the researchers found more than a thousand fish nests – carefully cleared patches in the plankton detritus at the bottom of the ocean.
It wasn't just the discovery of the nests that was remarkable – it was how they were arranged. This structured ecosystem is being presented as further evidence in the case for making this part of the Weddell Sea a Marine Protected Area .
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