Antarctica Underwater World Revealed And It Is Mesmerizing; Australian Robot Captured It In Video

A team of Australian scientists, who were trying to retrieve a SeapHox pH data logger, at the O'Brien Bay, near Casey research station in East Antarctica, with the help of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) attached with a camera, captured the colorful Antarctic underwater world underneath the thick layer of sea ice.

The SeapHox pH data logger was previously sent into the Antarctica underwater to record acidity, oxygen, salinity and temperature of the seawater at an hourly basis since November 2015.

Glenn Johnstone, Australian Antarctic Division biologist, said that, "When you think of the Antarctic coastal marine environment, the iconic species such as penguins, seals and whales usually steal the show," but the Antarctica underwater footage revealed "a habitat that is productive, colorful, dynamic and full of a wide variety of biodiversity, including sponges, sea spiders, urchins, sea cucumbers and sea stars."

All these Antarctica underwater organisms live in -1.5 degrees Celsius (29.3 degrees Fahrenheit) and beneath a 1.5-meter (4.9-foot) thick sea ice. The adaptation mechanisms that enable these varied marine life forms to survive the extreme cold conditions remain a mystery.

The present effort was a part of the project that involves understanding the biodiversity and ecological complexity of the Antarctic underwater ecosystems, as well as the possible threats that need to be addressed immediately in order to conserve them, reported Science Alert.

One of the issues that needs immediate attention is the acidification of Antarctic underwater, as a result of increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Australian Antarctic Program project is making an effort to study the ecological outcome of ocean acidification, according to Daily Star.

James Black, PhD student, Australian Antarctic Division, said that, "Even small shifts in the timing of sea ice breakout can alter the composition of communities in these shallow coastal waters so we're seeking to understand what other impacts there may be in an acidifying ocean," which is why the ROV sent underwater also collected diatoms and sediment samples from the Antarctica underwater, which will be further analyzed at the Division's headquarters in Tasmania.

One can watch the footage recorded by the robotic camera below: