Scientists found life under 3,000 feet under the ice in Antarctica. The previous theory was that life could not exist in such extreme conditions: freezing temperatures, without food and total darkness.
The creatures were found attached to a rock in the cold seas under the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf – a huge layer of ice that stretches out from Antarctica, according to a Business Insider report.
British Antarctic Survey experts drilled holes in 2,860 feet of ice, then lowered the cameras across the ice and then into another 1,549 feet of water before making the discovery.
Their intention was to collect samples from the seabed. But the camera hit something big, and when they reviewed the footage from the film, they saw the stone and the unusual discovery.
“The area under these giant floating ice platforms is probably one of the least known habitats on Earth,” said marine biologist Huw Griffiths, one of the scientists who made the discovery, in a video on Twitter.
Exploration under the ice shelf has not been done very often. Griffiths continued, “We really don’t know much. And the total area that humans saw under the ice shelves is almost the size of a tennis court. “
The video reveals two types of unidentified animals. The animals highlighted in red in the video appear to be hanging from long stems, while the other (highlighted in white) looks like a round, spongy animal.
From time to time, scientists study the area just below the ice sheets, finding some moving animals, including earthworms, krill and jellyfish. But there was no thought of actually finding a life that was deeper and far from any light.
The next step for scientists is to find answers to many questions, Griffith said in a press release:
“How did they get there? How long have they been there? What are they eating? Are they of a hitherto unknown species? To answer our questions, we will have to find a way to get closer to these animals and their environment.”
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