The Polarstern icebreaker has gone where no one has ever been.
The icebreaker has discovered a still unknown world.
An underwater world made up of waters that have just been freed from the ice and that meet light for the first time.
To understand, we have to go back to February 26.
On that day, the German research icebreaker had a front row seat when the giant iceberg of about 1,270 km2 broke off in Antarctica.
The scientists on board then decided to seize this unique and privileged opportunity to observe this still virgin and unknown seabed, the scientists were unanimous, it was necessary to go there as quickly as possible ”, says Professor Claudio Richter, biologist at the Institute. Alfred Wegener, from whom the scientists on board the Polarstern came.
The Polarstern then rushes into the rift between the new iceberg and the platform.
“Fortunately, the weather conditions were good, we didn't want to be trapped in the ice,” says the professor.
And the waters suddenly freed from the ice revealed riches.
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The researchers were able to take sediment samples, make geochemical measurements of the water column above, and also found life where it was not expected.
“In the end, there was life there,” says Claudio Richter.
Non-sessile organisms like sea cucumbers, starfish, mollusks, at least five species of fish and two species of squid.
It seems that hot currents supply them with nutrients.
But beware warns the professor, "with global warming, there will be more of this hot water under the ice and that worries us a lot".
Scientists have left sensors behind in order to continue measuring and monitoring the impact of global warming on the ice sheet.
