Today many researchers are ecstatic and very busy studying the outside world. That is why little by little they have forgotten that on our planet Earth there are also many unexplored places and discoveries to be made.

Marine life is an enigma today

Although many scientists have their sights set on space research, it is said that 70% of the planet’s mysteries lie in the depths of the water. How true can this be? In fact, currently, many discoveries have been made in different places around the world that are surrounded by water.

Scientists conduct studies in New Zealand

Melting ice is something that keeps many people worried today. For this reason, a group of scholars was conducting research in Antarctica.

Their goal was to see if the mouth had any effect on the melting or if it was simply a consequence of climate change. However, what they discovered was much more exciting than they imagined.

Scientists work on the outer edges of the Ross Ice Shelf.

NIWA/Craig Stevens.

A never-before-seen ecosystem is discovered

Scientists were drilling the Ross Ice Shelf all the way to the river, the project leaders were the universities of Auckland, Wellington and Otago. During these excavations, cameras capable of capturing a completely unknown ecosystem at a depth of 500 meters were being used.

It was then that they came across something unexpected. The researchers discovered large swarms of small creatures that belong to the group of “Amphipods”, that is, the same family as lobsters, mites and crabs. It can be said that this is a part of the world that until now was hidden and is now a bit mysterious.

The Unknown Marine Habitat

Craig Stevens, a physical oceanographer at the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), said that at first they thought “something was wrong with the chamber. But by properly focusing the camera, they were able to clearly see that it was a group of arthropods that measured about 5 millimeters.

During the interview, Craig mentioned that when they discovered this new species they jumped for joy. Well, their goal was to study whether climate change is actually affecting the melting of the ice shelf. But they found a new Antarctic ecosystem, which was very surprising and exciting.

Who was the researcher who discovered the new ecosystem?

The leader of the Victoria University of Wellington named Huw Horwan was the one who managed to make this important discovery while looking at some satellite images. Horwan mentioned in this regard that for him it was like being the first to enter a ‘world’ that no one knows exists.

Details of studies in Antarctica

Investigations began when the major eruption of the Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha’apai volcano occurred. In 2020, satellite images were taken in which the appearance of the underground river in Antarctica was observed. So Horwan prop

After locating the cameras in various areas of the underwater channel, what they found was more than they bargained for. In fact, they said they never imagined they would find a new living species in a place like this. Most surprising of all, these experiments are not new.

An enigmatic submerged cave 

The team of researchers who witnessed the wonderful, undiscovered ecosystem noticed that the cave they were in looked like a kind of cathedral. Well, the ice roof had several very particular undulations that made it look like a place of worship.

What information is there about the species found?

Swarm of small underwater animals caught at a depth of 500 meters in Antarctica. Credit: NIWA/Craig Stevens

Unfortunately so far there is not much information about this, this is because they are trying to take care of this untapped ecosystem. However, it is hoped that scientists will be able to do more research in this regard and discover the origin of the specific amphipods.

So far many unanswered questions have arisen, such as: what do these small animals eat? How do they survive such low temperatures? How are nutrients maintained so many feet deep?

You may also be interested in: They discover a fossilized forest hidden millions of years ago in Brazil.

The truth is that the fact that these species are endangered due to global warming is also very worrying. To this end, the researchers will continue to study the site. It’s possible that at some point we’ll know the answers, and maybe we’ll end up more surprised than we think.