Trump has begun another trade war. Here's a timeline of how we got here
Canada's leader laments lost friendship with US in town that sheltered stranded Americans after 9/11
Chinese EV giant BYD's fourth-quarter profit leaps 73%
You're an American in another land? Prepare to talk about the why and how of Trump 2.0
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
Purdue returns to Sweet 16 with 76-62 win over McNeese in March Madness
A colossal iceberg named A-84 – comparable in size to Chicago – calved from the George VI Ice Shelf on Jan. 13, unveiling a seafloor area previously concealed for decades. This event provided scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's (SOI) research vessel R/V Falkor (too) with an unprecedented opportunity to explore the newly exposed marine environment.
Upon arrival on Jan. 25, the research team deployed remotely operated vehicles to document and collect specimens from the seafloor. Contrary to initial expectations of sparse life due to prolonged ice coverage, the area revealed a vibrant ecosystem teeming with diverse species, including icefish, giant sea spiders, octopuses, corals, and sponges. Notably, a potentially several centuries-old vase-shaped sponge was among the discoveries.
"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. 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," Patricia Esquete, the expedition's co-chief scientist and a researcher at the Department of Biology at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, said.
"The discovery offers new insights into how ecosystems function beneath floating sections of the Antarctic ice sheet," SOI said in a press release.
Usually, nutrients from the surface trickle down to the seafloor in deep-sea ecosystems. These Antarctic ecosystems have been isolated from surface nutrients for centuries due to the thick, 150-meter (almost 500-foot) ice covering them. The team speculates ocean currents may be a strategy for maintaining life beneath the ice sheet because they also transport nutrients. It is currently unknown what exact mechanism powers these ecosystems.
The calving of iceberg A-84 underscores the dynamic nature of Antarctic ice shelves amid climate change. The George VI Ice Shelf has experienced significant melting in recent years, reflecting broader regional ice loss trends. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Antarctica's sea ice extent has reached record lows for four consecutive years, raising concerns about the stability of these ecosystems.
The implications of such ice loss are far-reaching. Glacier melting contributes to sea-level rise and can disrupt global ocean currents. Additionally, the exposure of previously ice-covered areas may lead to the release of trapped greenhouse gases, further influencing climate patterns.
"They were really serendipitously in the right place at the right time to be right there and to see an ecosystem," Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, said.
The research team plans to conduct extensive laboratory analyses to confirm the identification of potentially new species and further understand the ecological dynamics of the area. These findings provide a crucial baseline for assessing how deep-sea life in polar regions may adapt to ongoing environmental changes. It will take months of lab analysis to confirm the discovery of any new species.
