Antarctica's Exposed Seafloor Reveals a Thriving Hidden Ocean
When the A-84 iceberg split from the George VI Ice Shelf, about 510 square kilometers of seafloor were exposed, allowing scientists aboard the R/V Falkor to document a vibrant deep-sea ecosystem in 1,300 meters of water, including sponges, corals, icefish, octopuses, giant sea spiders and phantom jellyfish; the life appears sustained by ocean currents and glacial meltwater, challenging assumptions about life under ice and informing projections of future climate-driven changes.