Research carried out by Brown University and the University of Auckland suggests there could be an enormous mass of algae living permanently under the surface of the continent.
Groundbreaking research suggests 'something huge' could be living beneath Antarctica - Daily Record dailyrecordLoad mobile navigationNewsLatest NewsScottish NewsUK & World NewsPoliticsCrimeHealthReal LifeBusiness & ConsumerWeird NewsScience & TechnologyNews By AreaExpandPoliticsFootballScottish PremiershipScottish ChampionshipScottish CupPremier Sports CupScotland Football TeamTransfer NewsEnglish Premier LeagueExpandSportLatest SportFootballHorse RacingRugbyGolfTennisBoxingDartsExpandTV & CelebsLatest CelebsCelebrity NewsTV & Radio NewsCelebrity InterviewsExpandLife & StylePartner StoriesScotland NowIn Your AreaBusinessTravelMore ×search Follow usBuy a PaperRoad RecordPropertyMarketplaceCompetitionsHoroscopesDealsFuneral NoticesJobsCrosswordsAdvertise With UsNewsletter signup HomeNewsUK & WorldLife Sciences NewsGroundbreaking research suggests 'something huge' could be living beneath AntarcticaResearch carried out by Brown University and the University of Auckland suggests there could be an enormous mass of algae living permanently under the surface of the continent.dailyrecordBookmarkShare NewsByLizzie McAllisterNews reporterNicola Croal16:57, 20 NOV 2022BookmarkAccording to new research, there could be something living below Antarctica's icy surface (Image: Getty Images)Group 28Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletterInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. More infoGroup 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our Privacy Notice Researchers have discovered that there may be something monstrous living below Antarctica's icy surface, as big as 5 million square kilometres. The frozen continent is usually thought of as a hostile climate with only certain breeds of animals such as penguins, seals and fish being able to live there, the Daily Star reports However, scientists have been studying blooms of photosynthetic algae, which emerges in the summer months when the ocean ice dissolves. It's been believed for a long time that the algae only appeared in the warmer months as Antarctica's hefty layer of solid ice would stop any sunlight from getting through. However, new research carried out by a team from Brown University in the US and New Zealand's University of Auckland implies there could be a colossal mass of it living permanently under the surface of the continent, Newsweek reported. Christopher Horvat, who led the study, told the publication: "Finding these blooms helps challenge the paradigm that regions under sea ice are devoid of life, and introduces important new questions about the food webs that might lie under the ice in Antarctica. Promoted Stories Read More Related Articles UK's 'loneliest house' with three mountaintops and 3,000 acres of land hits market for £10m Read More Related Articles Mrs Hinch fans share easy clothes airer hack to keep 'musty' smell off washing "We think they could cover up to 5 million square km of the under-ice region in the Southern Ocean." The research which was discovered using data obtained from NASA'S Earth surveillance satellites and on-site ocean floats has now been published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The Southern Ocean's sea ice is composed of sheets of packed ice with small patches of open water in between. Researchers are of the opinion that it is those areas of water that let light pass through even in the winter months, giving the algae power to photosynthesise all year round. Due to the continent's hostile climate, there is very little life there (Image: Getty Images) Huw Griffiths, a marine biogeographer with the British Antarctic Survey explained the ice which is usually between three and ten feet thick is also thin enough to allow some light through. However, previous studies have proven that life exists on the sea floor where there is no light at all.Most Read1Remembering the West Lothian scientist who led the HMS Challenger on its 150th anniversary2'Time traveller from 2236' issues warning about deadly natural disaster in 20233Perth and Kinross councillors call for action to improve Loch Leven water quality after sewage leak "Most ice shelves are so thick that no light reaches the sea floor below," Griffiths said. Last year, a team led by Griffiths found life on a boulder 3000ft under the surface of the ocean on the sea floor which was being sheltered by an Antarctic ice shelf. New research suggests the algae blooms may even be able to survive during the coldest months in Antarctica (Image: Getty Images) "We know very little about life under Antarctica's floating ice shelves. Ice shelves cover around a third of the continental shelf—1.5 million square kilometres—but our knowledge is based on a handful of records from boreholes drilled through the ice shelves," he said. These holes give us small snapshots of what lives on the seafloor and the water column, but the majority of what we know comes from short video clips and photographs covering a very small area. 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Past studies have found some small mobile scavengers and predators, such as fish, worms, jellyfish or krill, in these habitats. "Our study found the first ever record of a hard substrate—a boulder—community deep beneath an ice shelf, made up of probable filter-feeding animals such as sponges." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here. 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