Hidden ocean world under glacier may be centuries old
A previously hidden under-sea ecosystem has been revealed after an iceberg broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, a massive glacier on the Antarctic ice sheet.
Researchers from Schmidt Ocean Institute reached the previously inaccessible area in January, and became the first to investigate it, bringing back incredible images.
Here, an octopus rests on the seafloor 1150 metres deep, in the Bellingshausen Sea off Antarctica.
A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230m deep.
"Sponges can grow very slowly, sometimes less than two centimetres a year," SOU said.
"Therefore, the size of this specimen suggests this community has been active for decades, perhaps even hundreds of years."
Universidade de Aveiro co-chief scientist Patricia Esquete inspects a suspected new species of isopod.
Describing all the new species is expected to take "years".
A solitary hydroid drifts in currents about 380m below sea level.
"Solitary hydroids are related to corals, jellyfish, and anemones, but do not form colonies," SOU said.
A squid dines on a captures fish.
A helmet jellyfish drifts with tentacles splayed.
A giant phantom jelly is is spotted.
This jellyfish can grow to a massive size, with a bell of more than a metre, and four arms of more than 10 metres.
A group of sponges.
Krill swarm the lights of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) SuBastian underwater at the southeastern end of the Ronne Entrance off the Bellingshausen Sea.
King crabs interact on the seafloor.
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