The researchers sent their underwater robot SuBastian into the deep and found an ecosystem filled with anemones that look like Dr. Seuss’s Truffula Trees, along with sea spiders, icefish and #octopuses. Some of the creatures are new species, and many may only be found near Antarctica. Beyond simply being remote, the continent has been isolated for millions of years by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which surrounds it like a moat around a castle.
The tentacles of a solitary hydroid drift in currents 360 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf. Solitary hydroids are related to corals, jellyfish, and anemones, but do not form colonies.ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute
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