Researchers find an unprecedented prosperous environmental system under Antarctica: “This is unprecedented”

A fortunate group of scientists managed to explore an unprecedented part of the Antarctic after the outbreak of an ice shelf, and revealed the newly open sea floor and an unpaid ecosystem hundreds of meters below the surface.

A team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute on the “R/V Falkor” research ship was also in January 2025 when a size of ice exploded the size of Chicago from George VI shelf, a floating ice, 57 miles.

“This is unprecedented, to be able to get there so quickly,” Dr. Gytika Ferrani, CEO of the Schmidt Institute of Ocean, told CBS on Saturday morning. The institute is a charitable institution that sponsors ocean and science research.

Dr. Patricia Escoye, the main world on the ship, said there is no discussion about whether it will go to the site or not.

“We were like”, my God, I cannot believe this is happening. “Everyone agreed that we had to go there.”

In just one day, the ship managed to reach the area. They have reduced a yatter robot over 1000 meters underwater so that they can explore the area and broadcast the area of ​​scientists.

Almost immediately, researchers began to see things in which humans have never had eyes before.

“The first thing we saw was a huge sponge with a crab on it,” Escoye said. “This is really amazing, because one question we have is” Will there be any life at all? ”

The sponge grows very slowly – sometimes less than centimeters annually. Scientists say that the ecological system flourishes for a long time – perhaps the ecological system has been flourishing for a long time – perhaps even centuries.

The institute said that the car, which it runs remotely, explored the sea floor for eight days. He also discovered large coral reefs and more sponge, which supported species including ice fish and giant marine spiders and oxopy.

Esquete said that researchers are now studying how the ecosystem gets enough energy to work. Virmani suggested that the ocean currents can bring nutrients to the area.

Since January, scientists have confirmed that at least six new types, but there is “there is still a lot of analysis.”

Since the Schmidt Ocean Institute makes all its research, data and direct broadcast open, information is available to other scientists to explore and analyze.

Esquete said that the team’s research in the new ecosystem has not ended remotely. They are planning to return to the region in 2028.

“The Antarctic changes quickly,” said Esquete. “In order to understand what will happen, we really need to return and continue to study and continue my attempt to learn and understand what was leading this ecosystem under the ice shelf.”