New Scientist
Image: British Antarctic Survey
Deep Antarctic waters are teeming with krill – small shrimp-like creatures near the bottom of the food chain – in a discovery which has amazed scientists.
The marine invertebrates, which are a crucial food source in Antarctica’s ecosystem, were thought to inhabit surface waters only. But a submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) has captured surprising images of large numbers of krill living and feeding on the floor of the Southern Ocean, some 3500 metres below sea level.
“This is first time that anyone has looked down there with a camera,” saysAndrew Clarke at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), who led the team. “There have been cameras taken down in Antarctic waters before but they have never gone this deep.” Read more on newscientist.com…
