Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Larsen ice shelf: Mission to explore uncovered Antarctic ecosystem
By Jonathan Amos
BBC Science Correspondent
4 February 2019
- video -
The 5,800 sq km frozen slab broke away from the continent in 2017, exposing ocean floor that had been covered for at least 120,000 years.
A German-led expedition wants to see what's living in this opened ecosystem.
The researchers will need luck on their side, however. The region they are targeting in the Weddell Sea is notorious for thick sea-ice.
This could prevent their ship, RV Polarstern, from getting anywhere near their desired destination.
But if the team succeeds, it could catalogue a bounty of novel specimens, says Dr Huw Griffiths from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47111057