Antarctic Deepsea Fauna Found in Surprisingly Shallow Waters
31.01.2007 - Logistics, Other
Talking about the Polarstern Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) expedition, Julian Gutt from the Alfred Wegener Institut reported that deep-sea sea cucumbers and stalked feather stars were ubiquitously found in unusually shallow waters, under the former Larsen ice shelf east of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Sea cucumbers and stalked feather stars are normally deep-sea inhabitants belonging to a group called echinoderms. Until now, stalked feather stars have only been found sporadically and then only below 800m water depths in this sector of Antarctica. But locally in the Larsen B region, they occurred rather frequently at depths of merely 200m.
Scientists participating in the Polarstern Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) expedition will meet again in autumn in Barcelona to work on a synthesis of various results combining the different aspects of ecosystem components.
Regular news covering the ANT XXIII/8 expedition and related picture galleries can be found on the EducaPoles website. Video footages of the expedition can also be found on the Cousteau Society dedicated webpage.
