Latest news with #PatriciaEsquete
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What's Hiding in Antarctic Ice? Giant Lakes, Ancient Mountains, Prehistoric Creatures & More!
Antarctica is famous for its frigid temperatures, desolate landscape, penguins, and the predators who eat them. That's what it looks like from the surface, but there are hidden organisms and environments tucked inside and underneath the Antarctic ice. There is rocky land on the Antarctic continent, but it's covered by a thick layer of ice. The distance between the ground and the surface is an average 1.3 miles, but it gets considerably thicker in some places. And nearly the whole of the continent has been covered over like this for more than 30 million years. From above, the continent looks like a vast, nearly featureless waste of white but, like the researchers of The Thing learned the hard way, it's hiding a much more complex environment below. In early 2025, an international team of scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falcor (too) had to make a quick pivot in their research plans when an iceberg the size of Chicago broke loose from the George VI ice shelf. All at once, researchers had access to a whole new piece of exposed seafloor. Exploring this never-before-seen part of the planet revealed large corals, sponges, octopuses, giant sea spiders, bizarre ice fish with clear blood, and a whole lot more. Just a few years ago, scientists found an estimated 60 million ice fish nesting beneath the Antarctic ice. Odds are these sorts of communities are common beneath the ice. '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," said Dr. Patricia Esquete from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in a statement. As the ice sheet moves across the Antarctic continent, it grinds across the rocky ground below, but every so often it gets a break, courtesy of sub-glacial lakes and rivers. Using satellite data, scientists have identified hundreds of lakes and rivers beneath the ice, some of which seemingly defy our expectations. In ordinary environments, water always flows downhill, following the pull of gravity. But in some parts of Antarctica, the immense pressure of surface ice forces rivers to flow uphill, moving from one sub-glacial lake to the next. Not only are these subsurface waterways exciting places for scientists to study, but they might also help biologists understand how alien life might exist on places like Europa, where liquid water covered by ice is the norm. There are more than 400 subglacial lakes in Antarctica, and scientists have confirmed the existence of microbial life in some of them. With no access to sunlight or the surface, microbes have to survive on whatever nutrients they can find in the sub-glacial water. At the boundary between rock and ice, scientists have discovered erosion pulverizing rock. As that happens, nutrients and minerals are released into the water. Those nutrients support methanotrophs which use methane to create energy, methanogens which create energy by converting hydrogen and carbon dioxide into methane, bacteria which convert ammonium into nitrite and nitrate, and more. If there's a useful chemical in the sub-glacial waters, scientists have uncovered a microbe which uses it. In addition to low-lying valleys, covered lakes, and bizarre sub-glacial rivers, the Antarctic ice is also hiding massive mountain ranges. The Gamburtsev Mountains are roughly equivalent in scale to the European Alps, stretching for approximately 750 miles. A study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters reveals the range formed about half a billion years ago during the formation of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, when two continental plates smashed together. Since then, they've been relatively stable and they remain there today, buried in the ice. Today, any animal living on the Antarctic continent or in its coastal waters must be specially evolved to survive the harsh conditions of the planet's South Pole. Ice fish, for instance, have evolved clear blood lacking hemoglobin in order to survive in the frigid polar ocean. In the deep past, things were different. When Antarctica was part of Gondwana, it was positioned closer to Australia, further from the South Pole, and rotated about 90 degrees. The continent supported lush plant life and a robust ecosystem filled with dinosaurs, ancient marsupial mammals, marine reptiles, and a wide variety of plant life. Researchers have discovered fossil remains of wood, pollen, fungal spores, leaves, and mosses alongside ankylosaurs (armored dinosaurs), mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs (both marine reptiles). From more recent parts of the fossil record, scientists have uncovered ancient whales and dolphins, dating to about 4.5 million years ago. These days, Antarctica is a frozen desert, the only place on the planet too extreme for us to set down roots. But there's plenty to see and plenty to learn about the rest of the planet if you're willing to look deeper. John Carpenter's 1982 frozen thriller, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make incredible discovery after exploring newly revealed section of seafloor: 'We seized upon the moment'
An iceberg the size of Chicago broke away from an Antarctic ice shelf in January — an alarming indicator of our changing climate. Fortunately, an international team of researchers found a way to turn this gargantuan lemon into lemonade: they used the opportunity to explore a never-before-seen section of the seafloor. What they found was nothing short of amazing. As Schmidt Ocean Institute detailed, the expedition was part of the Challenger 150 global cooperative. This program conducts deep-sea biological research intended to better understand how to sustainably manage the deep ocean. The initial mission was to study the seafloor around where this massive section of ice shelf met the Bellingshausen Sea. However, plans rapidly shifted when the approximately 209-square-mile iceberg broke off, revealing a massive section of the seafloor that was previously inaccessible. "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," expedition co-chief scientist Dr. Patricia Esquete said, per the Schmidt Ocean Institute. SuBastian, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) designed to safely explore deep waters, plunged to a depth of around 1,300 meters. The ROV discovered a vast ecosystem of underwater plant and animal life. Among them were sea sponges, anemones, octopi, icefish, and giant sea spiders that may have been thriving down there for centuries. "We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem," Dr. Esquete said. "Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years." What amazed the research team most was how this ecosystem was capable of thriving without the help of nutrients raining down from the water above. They theorized that ocean currents may be responsible for providing such a vast ecosystem with the resources it requires. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. There's no doubt studying the seafloor is fueled in part by sheer wonder for the array of life on our planet — but that's not the only thing driving it. Understanding how this vast, unseen part of the planet operates can better inform us on how to protect the environment. With this knowledge, we can support these ecosystems, better manage resources, assess human impact, and more. Similar deep-sea research is being conducted elsewhere. An expedition in Papua New Guinea's "rainforest of the ocean" uncovered several new species, affording conservationists a greater understanding of how to protect and manage this crucial section of the deep sea. In New Zealand, a similar expedition discovered a new species of sea squirt. It's believed that studying these fascinating filter feeders can potentially improve human immune systems and even reverse signs of aging. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A surprising lesson from Antarctica: Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice
When an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off from one of Antarctica's massive floating glaciers in January, a team of scientists working nearby quickly pivoted, steering their ship to explore the newly-revealed seafloor. What they found surprised and amazed them. '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," said Patricia Esquete of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She was part of an international team of scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute working in the Bellingshausen Sea. When they got word that a new iceberg, named A-84, had broken off, they shifted their work to see what was revealed on a seabed that had been covered by almost 500 feet of ice for centuries. Less than two weeks later, they were in place and began using autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders to quickly inventory what proved to be a thriving ecosystem that had lived for hundreds of years with no light and few nutrients. '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 Esquete. Douglas McCauley, a professor of ocean science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was impressed the research team was flexible enough to divert course to take those observations. "Some of the best discoveries come when disciplined scientists that have spent years planning every minute of a cruise years in advance are brave enough to go: 'OMG a gigantic iceberg just calved off – let go see what was under that!'" he said. It proved to be a fortuitous diversion of their ship, R/V Falkor (Too). In water as much as 4,200 feet deep the team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute found a surprisingly flourishing ecosystem that included icefish, giant sea spiders, octopus, corals and sponges. They suspect they've found several new species, but determining that will take time. Such opportunities to see what lives in these areas are rare, said Andrew Thurber, a professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara who specializes in Antarctic research. With the advent of remote submersible robots it shouldn't be hard to work under significant ice, he said, but it remains a serious technological challenge for marine science. It's not just "Send a robot under the ice and it comes back with cool data," he said. "In reality, they often have issues and with hundreds of meters of ice over their head – the odds of getting home become bleak." One of the mysteries of the discovery is what these sea creatures have been eating. Close to a mile down, with a 500-foot layer of ice between them and the sun for centuries, there's not a lot of choice when it comes to dinner. "These communities are very far removed from the sun and this source of energy," said Thurber. In the deepest depths of the ocean, sea inhabitants rely on a constant rain of nutrients that slowly sinks down from the surface. Called "marine snow," it's composed of dead animals, plants, feces and other organic materials. The name comes from the fact that it looks like "little white fluffy bits" slowly falling through the water column, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. But the newly-uncovered area has been covered by ice for centuries, cut off from surface nutrients. The discovery of so much life – and such big life – was unanticipated, said Thurber. "We would expect there to be an animal community that is more like what is in the deep-deep sea, which is smaller animals and incredible diversity but not large animals except in unique cases," he said. Instead there were large invertebrates. "That is why this is such a surprising discovery," he said. The scientists hypothesize that ocean currents are moving nutrients around and that the currents are possibly the mechanism that sustains life beneath the ice sheet, though how that works precisely isn't yet known. The iceberg, named A-84, broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, one of the massive floating glaciers attached to the Antarctic Peninsula. Ice shelves are permanent floating sheets of ice that connect to a landmass, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Such ice shelves are an important part of the earth's cryosphere. The breaking off of this huge iceberg is an example of the ongoing shrinkage happening at the earth's poles over the past few decades as part of climate change. This raises a question of what to do with the newly-opened areas. "Open seafloor can either be an area to expand industry but also opens up pristine habitats with unknown biodiversity, potential for drug discovery, and often long lived species that are susceptible to human activities," said Thurber. Should the areas be turned into marine conservation areas or exploited, most likely for fishing? "I think that is something that we, as a global collaborative community charged with management of the Antarctic, are faced with in light of our rapidly changing globe," he said. One of the biggest questions for the scientists is whether the sea creatures that had been happily living in an ecosystem covered by ice will fare now that the ice is gone. "Some of them can move. Some of them, though, are embedded in that seabed. So they're anchored in place and they of course, will not be able to move," said Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "Until we go back or until scientists go back in a few months or a year, it's really difficult to say how this ecosystem is going to evolve," she said. "But the the fact that we have this baseline information is phenomenal." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iceberg breaks off from Antarctica, reveals flourishing life
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A surprising lesson from Antarctica: Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice
When an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off from one of Antarctica's massive floating glaciers in January, a team of scientists working nearby quickly pivoted, steering their ship to explore the newly-revealed seafloor. What they found surprised and amazed them. '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," said Patricia Esquete of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She was part of an international team of scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute working in the Bellingshausen Sea. When they got word that a new iceberg, named A-84, had broken off, they shifted their work to see what was revealed on a seabed that had been covered by almost 500 feet of ice for centuries. Less than two weeks later, they were in place and began using autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders to quickly inventory what proved to be a thriving ecosystem that had lived for hundreds of years with no light and few nutrients. '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 Esquete. Douglas McCauley, a professor of ocean science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was impressed the research team was flexible enough to divert course to take those observations. "Some of the best discoveries come when disciplined scientists that have spent years planning every minute of a cruise years in advance are brave enough to go: 'OMG a gigantic iceberg just calved off – let go see what was under that!'" he said. It proved to be a fortuitous diversion of their ship, R/V Falkor (Too). In water as much as 4,200 feet deep the team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute found a surprisingly flourishing ecosystem that included icefish, giant sea spiders, octopus, corals and sponges. They suspect they've found several new species, but determining that will take time. Such opportunities to see what lives in these areas are rare, said Andrew Thurber, a professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara who specializes in Antarctic research. With the advent of remote submersible robots it shouldn't be hard to work under significant ice, he said, but it remains a serious technological challenge for marine science. It's not just "Send a robot under the ice and it comes back with cool data," he said. "In reality, they often have issues and with hundreds of meters of ice over their head – the odds of getting home become bleak." One of the mysteries of the discovery is what these sea creatures have been eating. Close to a mile down, with a 500-foot layer of ice between them and the sun for centuries, there's not a lot of choice when it comes to dinner. "These communities are very far removed from the sun and this source of energy," said Thurber. In the deepest depths of the ocean, sea inhabitants rely on a constant rain of nutrients that slowly sinks down from the surface. Called "marine snow," it's composed of dead animals, plants, feces and other organic materials. The name comes from the fact that it looks like "little white fluffy bits" slowly falling through the water column, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. But the newly-uncovered area has been covered by ice for centuries, cut off from surface nutrients. The discovery of so much life – and such big life – was unanticipated, said Thurber. "We would expect there to be an animal community that is more like what is in the deep-deep sea, which is smaller animals and incredible diversity but not large animals except in unique cases," he said. Instead there were large invertebrates. "That is why this is such a surprising discovery," he said. The scientists hypothesize that ocean currents are moving nutrients around and that the currents are possibly the mechanism that sustains life beneath the ice sheet, though how that works precisely isn't yet known. The iceberg, named A-84, broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, one of the massive floating glaciers attached to the Antarctic Peninsula. Ice shelves are permanent floating sheets of ice that connect to a landmass, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Such ice shelves are an important part of the earth's cryosphere. The breaking off of this huge iceberg is an example of the ongoing shrinkage happening at the earth's poles over the past few decades as part of climate change. This raises a question of what to do with the newly-opened areas. "Open seafloor can either be an area to expand industry but also opens up pristine habitats with unknown biodiversity, potential for drug discovery, and often long lived species that are susceptible to human activities," said Thurber. Should the areas be turned into marine conservation areas or exploited, most likely for fishing? "I think that is something that we, as a global collaborative community charged with management of the Antarctic, are faced with in light of our rapidly changing globe," he said. One of the biggest questions for the scientists is whether the sea creatures that had been happily living in an ecosystem covered by ice will fare now that the ice is gone. "Some of them can move. Some of them, though, are embedded in that seabed. So they're anchored in place and they of course, will not be able to move," said Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "Until we go back or until scientists go back in a few months or a year, it's really difficult to say how this ecosystem is going to evolve," she said. "But the the fact that we have this baseline information is phenomenal." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iceberg breaks off from Antarctica, reveals flourishing life
USA Today
13-04-2025
- Science
- USA Today
A surprising lesson from Antarctica: Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice
A surprising lesson from Antarctica: Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice Scientists found "a beautiful, thriving ecosystem" in a dark and isolated location: The former shadow of a glacier. Show Caption Hide Caption Giant iceberg in Antartica houses flourishing ecosystem A team of scientists discovered a beautiful, thriving ecosystem under an iceberg in Antartica, and they suspect it includes several new species. When an iceberg the size of Chicago broke off from one of Antarctica's massive floating glaciers in January, a team of scientists working nearby quickly pivoted, steering their ship to explore the newly-revealed seafloor. What they found surprised and amazed them. '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," said Patricia Esquete of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She was part of an international team of scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute working in the Bellingshausen Sea. When they got word that a new iceberg, named A-84, had broken off, they shifted their work to see what was revealed on a seabed that had been covered by almost 500 feet of ice for centuries. Less than two weeks later, they were in place and began using autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders to quickly inventory what proved to be a thriving ecosystem that had lived for hundreds of years with no light and few nutrients. '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 Esquete. Douglas McCauley, a professor of ocean science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was impressed the research team was flexible enough to divert course to take those observations. "Some of the best discoveries come when disciplined scientists that have spent years planning every minute of a cruise years in advance are brave enough to go: 'OMG a gigantic iceberg just calved off – let go see what was under that!'" he said. It proved to be a fortuitous diversion of their ship, R/V Falkor (Too). In water as much as 4,200 feet deep the team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute found a surprisingly flourishing ecosystem that included icefish, giant sea spiders, octopus, corals and sponges. They suspect they've found several new species, but determining that will take time. Such opportunities to see what lives in these areas are rare, said Andrew Thurber, a professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at UC Santa Barbara who specializes in Antarctic research. With the advent of remote submersible robots it shouldn't be hard to work under significant ice, he said, but it remains a serious technological challenge for marine science. It's not just "Send a robot under the ice and it comes back with cool data," he said. "In reality, they often have issues and with hundreds of meters of ice over their head – the odds of getting home become bleak." What are these sea creatures eating under the ice? One of the mysteries of the discovery is what these sea creatures have been eating. Close to a mile down, with a 500-foot layer of ice between them and the sun for centuries, there's not a lot of choice when it comes to dinner. "These communities are very far removed from the sun and this source of energy," said Thurber. In the deepest depths of the ocean, sea inhabitants rely on a constant rain of nutrients that slowly sinks down from the surface. Called "marine snow," it's composed of dead animals, plants, feces and other organic materials. The name comes from the fact that it looks like "little white fluffy bits" slowly falling through the water column, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. But the newly-uncovered area has been covered by ice for centuries, cut off from surface nutrients. The discovery of so much life – and such big life – was unanticipated, said Thurber. "We would expect there to be an animal community that is more like what is in the deep-deep sea, which is smaller animals and incredible diversity but not large animals except in unique cases," he said. Instead there were large invertebrates. "That is why this is such a surprising discovery," he said. The scientists hypothesize that ocean currents are moving nutrients around and that the currents are possibly the mechanism that sustains life beneath the ice sheet, though how that works precisely isn't yet known. Where did this iceberg come from? The iceberg, named A-84, broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf, one of the massive floating glaciers attached to the Antarctic Peninsula. Ice shelves are permanent floating sheets of ice that connect to a landmass, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Such ice shelves are an important part of the earth's cryosphere. The breaking off of this huge iceberg is an example of the ongoing shrinkage happening at the earth's poles over the past few decades as part of climate change. What can we learn by listening to icebergs? Iceberg formation, movement and melting offer insights into some of the most extreme areas of the cryosphere. This raises a question of what to do with the newly-opened areas. "Open seafloor can either be an area to expand industry but also opens up pristine habitats with unknown biodiversity, potential for drug discovery, and often long lived species that are susceptible to human activities," said Thurber. Should the areas be turned into marine conservation areas or exploited, most likely for fishing? "I think that is something that we, as a global collaborative community charged with management of the Antarctic, are faced with in light of our rapidly changing globe," he said. Can these mysterious creatures survive in open ocean? One of the biggest questions for the scientists is whether the sea creatures that had been happily living in an ecosystem covered by ice will fare now that the ice is gone. "Some of them can move. Some of them, though, are embedded in that seabed. So they're anchored in place and they of course, will not be able to move," said Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "Until we go back or until scientists go back in a few months or a year, it's really difficult to say how this ecosystem is going to evolve," she said. "But the the fact that we have this baseline information is phenomenal."
