Thanks to advances in technology, scientists have gained the ability to conduct in-depth research in some of the world’s most fascinating – and inhospitable – places. One such place is the Antarctic, where new discoveries are constantly made. Whether you are planning a dive expedition to the Ross Sea and surrounding areas or if you’re contentedly awaiting footage from divers who make the trip, there are some marvelous surprises waiting for you. Here, we’ll take a short trip to McMurdo Station, where a dedicated team of researchers at Crary laboratory share what they’ve learned so far about life under some of the thickest sea ice on the planet.
Colorful Life Abounds
The contrast between the stark, endless white landscape above the surface and the profuse array of colorful – and somewhat bizarre – marine life living underneath the region’s vast expanses of ice is astonishing. Beneath a layer of sea ice that is often ten feet thick, toothfish, amphipods, bright yellow sea spiders, and masses of gorgeous pink sea stars captivate the imagination. Armies of seals maintain breathing holes, sometimes appropriating entry holes divers have cut for access to study sites.
Juvenile cod take shelter in cracks that form in ice walls, and long, slender dragonfish, which are extremely territorial, guard their nests with fearless, fierce enthusiasm. The ice above allows in just a little filtered light; ethereal shades of blue contrast with glittering ice formations and clusters of rocks swathed in bright orange, blue, and purple anemones and brilliant green sponges. Octopuses, isopods, and stunning crinoids, sea urchins, alligator fish, and even shrimp are some of the other creatures encountered at research sites in the Antarctic.
Seeking a Solution
While McMurdo Station’s resident scientists appreciate the otherworldly beauty this frigid seascape has to offer, their mission is not just to take photos for the rest of us to enjoy, to catalogue species, or to accompany visiting marine biologists and recreational divers on excursions into the icy waters of the Ross Sea. It is also to learn as much as possible about these animals and this unique habitat, as changes are occurring due to global warming.
Mount Erebus, the planet’s southernmost active volcano, is located on Ross Island and has been active since 1972. Today, volcanologists are monitoring a surge in activity; the volcano spits out as many as six bright orange masses of scorching hot magma every day. Further north, the climate is getting warmer at a steady pace, and species in the world’s hottest places are gradually shifting their range in search of water that suits their needs.
To determine whether Antarctic species will survive in coming decades and centuries, scientists are studying juvenile fish and eggs, which are kept in aquariums containing various amounts of carbon dioxide and maintained at different temperatures. Though the fish are seemingly robust due to their ability to thrive in the regions frigid waters, they are no different than other species in their inherent delicacy and in their need to occupy an environment that suits their biologic requirements. In coming years, researchers hope to determine whether these fish will be able to adapt to changes caused by a combination of global warming and increased ocean acidity caused by the absorption of carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere.