Jyotika Virmani

One possible theory is that they are being brought through by ocean currents that are flowing underneath the ice shelf.

One possible theory is that they are being brought through by ocean currents that are flowing underneath the ice shelf.

So the beauty of this piece of discovery of getting to this location so quickly after the ice broke off is we now have a baseline of information of what it was like there with the ice above it. And so this now sets a bar for future studies. And so scientists can come back next year or the year after and see how that ecosystem has evolved.

So the beauty of this piece of discovery of getting to this location so quickly after the ice broke off is we now have a baseline of information of what it was like there with the ice above it. And so this now sets a bar for future studies. And so scientists can come back next year or the year after and see how that ecosystem has evolved.

evolved without the ice above it and so that will then lend an understanding to what does the world look like if there wasn't ice in covering some of these parts of the world.

evolved without the ice above it and so that will then lend an understanding to what does the world look like if there wasn't ice in covering some of these parts of the world.

That's a very interesting question. Can they move? Some of them can move. Some of them though are embedded in that seabed. So they're anchored in place and they of course will not be able to move. That again, until we go back or until scientists go back in a few months or a year, it's really difficult to say how this ecosystem is going to evolve.

That's a very interesting question. Can they move? Some of them can move. Some of them though are embedded in that seabed. So they're anchored in place and they of course will not be able to move. That again, until we go back or until scientists go back in a few months or a year, it's really difficult to say how this ecosystem is going to evolve.

But the fact that we have this baseline information is phenomenal.

But the fact that we have this baseline information is phenomenal.

Bushmeat Ocean Institute operates the research vessel Falcon 2. It's a state-of-the-art, sophisticated research vessel. It's 110 meters in length. And it's built for science, and it's got eight science labs on board. It's got a whole suite of sensors, over 30 ocean and atmospheric sensors on board. And it has an ROV, which is a remotely operated vehicle, which is tethered to the vessel.

Bushmeat Ocean Institute operates the research vessel Falcon 2. It's a state-of-the-art, sophisticated research vessel. It's 110 meters in length. And it's built for science, and it's got eight science labs on board. It's got a whole suite of sensors, over 30 ocean and atmospheric sensors on board. And it has an ROV, which is a remotely operated vehicle, which is tethered to the vessel.

which can collect samples as well as 4K video imagery, which we then transmit in real time to the world. And so anyone can join the Schmidt Ocean Institute on our YouTube channel and explore the ocean in real time just at the same time that the scientists are doing and make these discoveries at the same time. So it's like exploring a new world, even though it's only a few kilometers away.

which can collect samples as well as 4K video imagery, which we then transmit in real time to the world. And so anyone can join the Schmidt Ocean Institute on our YouTube channel and explore the ocean in real time just at the same time that the scientists are doing and make these discoveries at the same time. So it's like exploring a new world, even though it's only a few kilometers away.

About just over 26% of the sea floor has currently been mapped, which is quite surprising because the ocean covers 71% of our planet. So really we've not even mapped half of the planet Earth's surface. And so we are part of an international program where everyone is contributing the data that they map to this program called Seabird 2030 so that we can get a complete map of the seafloor.

About just over 26% of the sea floor has currently been mapped, which is quite surprising because the ocean covers 71% of our planet. So really we've not even mapped half of the planet Earth's surface. And so we are part of an international program where everyone is contributing the data that they map to this program called Seabird 2030 so that we can get a complete map of the seafloor.

And we have on board FALCOR2, our research vessel, for sophisticated mapping technologies that can map down to the full ocean depth.

And we have on board FALCOR2, our research vessel, for sophisticated mapping technologies that can map down to the full ocean depth.

The Antarctic is, of course, a very difficult, very harsh environment to operate in and so it has a field season. which is only a few months, maybe from November, if we're lucky, to March. So the field season this year for Antarctic researchers and for ships to go down there has essentially pretty much ended because the ice has expanded again. So now the next opportunity that scientists

The Antarctic is, of course, a very difficult, very harsh environment to operate in and so it has a field season. which is only a few months, maybe from November, if we're lucky, to March. So the field season this year for Antarctic researchers and for ships to go down there has essentially pretty much ended because the ice has expanded again. So now the next opportunity that scientists