Most people would be surprised to learn that, despite the cold, there are corals and amazing sponges at the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean.
So says Antarctic biologist Susanne Lockhart (far left), who dove to the ocean seabed in a two-person submarine with pilot John Hocevar last week outside Kaiser Island in Palmer Archipelago, in the Antarctic Peninsula.
The scientist is working with environmental conservation group Greenpeace to conduct submarine-based scientific research to strengthen the proposal of creating the largest protected area on the planet - an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary.
The seabed of this area is home to corals and other animals that create 3D structures, providing shelter for fish and a habitat for countless other organisms, wrote Dr Lockhart in a blog post on the Greenpeace website.
They are an indispensable element in a complex ecosystem which feeds the Antarctic Ocean and all the other larger species in it, she added.
The three-month expedition to the Antarctic involves sea-floor submarine dives and sampling for plastic pollution to highlight the urgent need for the creation of a 1.8 million sq km Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary to safeguard species like whales and penguins, said Greenpeace.
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 01, 2018, with the headline Getting to the bottom of the issue. Subscribe