New Species of Giant Marine Life Found during Antarctic Sea Survey
25.03.2008 - Logistics, Other
New Zealand conducted a major biological survey of the Ross Sea in the Antarctic as part of the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) and the International Polar Year (IPY). From the 31st of January to the 20th of March 2008, the team aboard the RV Tangaroa came across giant-sized specimens and several possible new species.
These potentially new species, including as many as eight new molluscs, must now be reviewed by experts to see if they are in fact new to science. The comprehensiveness of the survey has also given scientists the opportunity to make other discoveries. Stu Hanchet, a fisheries scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, singled out the discovery of "fields" of sea lilies that stretched for hundreds of yards across the ocean floor, something he had never seen before.
The size of some specimens also struck the scientists, who discovered gigantic sea spiders, jellyfish, sea snails and starfish. Several typical factors could explain the size of some of the collected specimen: cold temperature, scarce predators and high levels of oxygen in the sea water.
