Thriving Antarctic ecosystems found in wake of recently detached iceberg

A large sponge, a cluster of anemones, and other life is seen nearly 230 meters deep at an area of the seabed that was very recently covered by the George VI Ice Shelf, a floating glacier in Antarctica. Sponges can grow very slowly, sometimes less than two centimeters a year. Therefore, the size of this specimen suggests this community has been active for decades, perhaps even hundreds of years.Researchers found flourishing ecosystems supporting an array of animal life, including corals, icefish Credit: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute