THE ICE-O-POD
EXPLORING ANTARCTICA’S UNDER-ICE MARINE LIFE By Glenn Johnstone and Jonny Stark, Australian Antarctic Division
A small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) nicknamed the ‘Ice-o-pod’ has revealed colourful and diverse sea floor communities under the sea ice around the Vestfold Hills, near Davis research station. The research, conducted as part of environmental surveys for the Davis Aerodrome Project (Australian Antarctic Magazine 37: 2-5, 2019), discovered a range of communities and rarely encountered species.
These beautiful crinoids or feather stars in Ellis Fjord, filter plankton using their feather-like arms. (Photo: Glenn Johnstone/Jonny Stark)
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