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A vast Antarctic ecosystem has been found in the continent’s waters, just months after a massive iceberg broke away from the Larsen C ice shelf. This underwater ecosystem is believed to have been hidden for several thousands of years, with the possibility of new, undiscovered species having thrived underneath the ice during that time.
As noted by Live Science, the iceberg codenamed A-68 is currently on a path toward the Weddell Sea as it continues floating away from the Larsen C ice shelf it came from. It is expected to expose 2,240 square miles (5,800 square kilometers) of seafloor that had remained under the iceberg without light for about 120,000 years. According to the Daily Mail, scientists will need to be quick in exploring the increasingly exposed area, as the eventual loss of ice will likely result in significant changes to the once-hidden Antarctic ecosystem.
“It’s just a fantastic, unknown area for scientific research,” said British Antarctic Survey researcher Susan Grant in a statement.