Судлаачид Антарктидын мөсөн давхаргын доороос сам хорхой төст амьтан илрүүлсэн нь мөсөн бүрхүүлийн доорх хязгаарлагдмал орчинд амьдрал орших боломжтойг харууллаа.
2009 онд эрдэмтэд Антарктидын Россын мөсөн тавиурын доор 183 метрийн гүнд өрөмдлөг хийж, NASA-гийн Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) камерын тусламжтайгаар далайн усыг шууд ажиглах явцдаа сам хорхой төст лиссанассид амфипод амьтныг илрүүлжээ. Нээлт хийх үед эрдэмтэд мөсөн доорх битүү харанхуй уснаас зөвхөн бичил биетэн олдоно гэж таамаглаж байсан ч уг амьтан төхөөрөмжийн утсыг тойрон сэлж байгаад ажиглагдсан байна. Энэхүү олдвор нь мөсөн гол судлаачид болон далайн биологичдын анхаарлыг татаж, нээлттэй далайгаас 32 километрийн зайтай орших энэхүү харанхуй орчинд илүү өндөр түвшний амьд организм оршиж буйг баталжээ.
Хожим нь уг амьтдыг далайн загас, далайн хав, оцон шувууны үлдэгдлээр хооллодог хог цэвэрлэгчид болохыг тогтоожээ. Уг өндөр түвшний амьд организм олдсон нь түүнийг тэжээхүйц бусад олон төрлийн амьдрал мөсөн доор оршиж байгааг илтгэж, мөн өрөмдлөгийн төхөөрөмжийг татан гаргах явцад эргэн тойрноос нь далайн медуз олдсон нь тус бүс нутгийн биологийн олон янз байдлыг улам тодотгосон юм.
Арван жилийн дараа буюу 2022 онд судлаачид Россын мөсөн тавиурын ойролцоо мөсөн гадаргуу доогуур урсах мөсөн доорх гол руу ойролцоогоор 500 метрийн гүнд зонд буулгаж судалгаа хийжээ. Энэ удаагийн судалгаагаар цөөн тооны амьтад бус харин олноороо бөөгнөрсөн амфиподууд илэрсэн бөгөөд эдгээр амьтдын хоол тэжээлийн эх үүсвэр болон тэдгээрийн тоо толгой богино хугацаанд хувьсан өөрчлөгдөж буй шалтгаан нь эрдэмтдийн анхаарлыг татсан хэвээр байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A scientific expedition beneath Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf led to an unexpected discovery in 2009 when researchers encountered a shrimp-like crustacean living beneath 183 meters (600 feet) of ice. The finding revealed that complex marine life exists in one of Earth’s most isolated environments, challenging assumptions about what could survive beneath the continent’s vast floating ice shelves.
For decades, Antarctic drilling projects have helped scientists investigate the frozen continent and the ocean concealed beneath its massive ice shelves. The 2009 mission marked a significant step forward because researchers lowered a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) camera beneath the Ross Ice Shelf for the first direct observations of its hidden underside.
The expedition was never expected to uncover large marine organisms. The team anticipated finding signs of microbial life in the permanently dark waters below the ice. Instead, the camera captured footage of an active crustacean inspecting the drilling equipment. IFLScience reported that the observation surprised both glaciologists and marine biologists involved in the mission.
A Surprising Visitor In Complete Darkness
As explained by a NASA release, after drilling through approximately 183 meters (600 feet) of ice, scientists lowered their camera into the seawater beneath the shelf. There, they spotted a lysianassid amphipod, a small shrimp-like crustacean swimming around the cable and repeatedly approaching the equipment.
NASA ice scientist Robert Bindschadler later recalled that everyone gathered around the monitor was captivated by what appeared on screen. Speaking to the Associated Press, he explained that researchers had expected little more than microbial life because the drilling site lay about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the open ocean.
“We were all huddled around the monitor just fascinated with what we were seeing at the bottom of our hole,” Bindschadler said. He added that: “When I showed this to a marine biologist she was quite surprised because we are a long way from the open ocean, about 20 miles [32 kilometers], and this is a higher life form.”
The animal also displayed unusual curiosity. Rather than fleeing, it circled the cable several times, appearing to examine the unfamiliar object from different angles before swimming away.
A Scavenger Reveals A Hidden Ecosystem
The crustacean identified during the expedition belongs to the lysianassid amphipods, a group of scavenging marine animals known for feeding on the remains of fish, seals, and penguins. IFLScience describes these crustaceans as the ocean’s “clean-up crew” because they recycle organic material left on the seafloor.
For the researchers, the discovery carried broader significance than the appearance of one small animal. As Bindschadler explained, finding an organism that occupies a relatively high position in the food chain suggested that many other forms of life must also exist beneath the ice to support it.
Additional evidence soon reinforced that idea. As the drilling equipment was pulled back to the surface, scientists noticed jellyfish attached to the cable. The observations pointed to a biological community that was far more diverse than originally anticipated. Reflecting on the expedition, Bindschadler described the underside of the Ross Ice Shelf as “an entirely new frontier for us to explore.”
Later Surveys Found A Thriving Ecosystem
More than a decade after the original discovery, researchers returned to investigate another hidden Antarctic environment. In 2022, a probe descended roughly 500 meters (1,640 feet) beneath the ice near the Ross Ice Shelf and entered a subglacial river flowing beneath the frozen surface.
The expedition encountered swarms of amphipods rather than isolated individuals. As reported by the same source, their abundance suggested that these crustaceans can form substantial populations beneath Antarctica’s ice, highlighting the existence of hidden aquatic ecosystems unlike those found in nearby locations. Professor Craig Stevens, a physical oceanographer at NIWA, said one question remained particularly intriguing:
“What is interesting is where their food is coming from and why their presence was so variable over the 10 days we observed.”
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