‘Nothing but fish nests’: huge icefish colony found in Antarctic sea

‘Nothing but fish nests’: huge icefish colony found in Antarctic sea

By Mabel Banfield-Nwachi

Source: theguardian

1/13/2022

Credit: Alfred Wegener Institute

Researchers exploring Antarctica’s seabed have discovered a thriving, unprecedented colony of icefish “about a third of the size of London”.

The surprise discovery of about 60 million active nests was made by a team of biologists while collecting routine data at 1.5-2.5 metres above the seafloor of Antarctica’s southern Weddell Sea. Before this discovery, the largest found colony contained only 60 nests.

“We expected to see the normal Antarctic seafloor … [but] during the first four hours of our dive, we saw nothing but fish nests,” said Autun Purser, of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, and lead author of the study published in Current Biology.

The ecosystem was found by accident using the ocean floor observation and bathymetry system, a large, towed camera device that records photos, videos and takes measurements of deep-sea habitats.

Researchers were initially interested in the area because of a process called upwelling, in which wind and currents bring cold water to the surface, causing the water to be 2C warmer than the surrounding area.

Purser suggested the fish may use this warmer water as a navigational tool to help track the colony. “When they feel like reproducing, they look for this warmer water and reproduce there,” he said.

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
4226	Young fisherman, 13, reels in huge fish that weighs 46.9lbs and is as big as him	dailymail	2012-04-24	UK
4227	Salmon farms 'polluting' lochs in Scotland	bbc	2012-04-20	UK
4228	Yellowfin tuna is enormous (427.9 pounds), but no record	petethomasoutdoors	2013-04-16	MX
4229	Belford man catches giant catfish at fishery in Thailand	chroniclelive	2013-11-07	TH
4230	RCMP call off river search for Fort Liard elder	CBC News	2011-06-02	CA
4231	Students monitor record coho salmon run in Millstone River	viu	2010-11-05	CA
4232	Salmon returning to Millstone River	nanaimobulletin	2013-11-07	CA
4233	Fishing season in Nanaimo	thenav	2013-03-20	CA
4234	Из притоков Амура почти исчезла краснокнижная рыба	ИА Амур.инфо	2020-12-25	RU
4235	The fish caught in a Nigerian village is not worth millions of dollars	afp	2021-03-09	NI
4236	Natural Water Flows To Be Restored To Theodosia River	gov.bc	2000-12-20	CA
4237	Revealed: 16 ‘toxic’ chemicals fish farmers are allowed to use	theferret	2021-03-17	UK
4238	Man fined for selling fighting fish from his Ang Mo Kio flat, keeping bearded dragons	channelnewsasia	2021-03-17	SG
4239	Ottawa announces $4.85M to buoy Nova Scotia’s struggling fish and seafood sector	globalnews	2021-03-17	CA
4240	North Sea gas leak fish 'untainted' by Total incident	heraldscotland	2012-04-11	UK
4241	Vancouver Aquarium makes breakthrough in cod breeding	thestar	2012-04-03	CA
4242	Researchers To Examine The Effects Of Year-Old NOAA West Coast 'Catch Shares' Program	underwatertimes	2012-03-21	US
4243	Anglers ruining Scots salmon DNA, claims scientist	deadlinenews	2012-03-19	UK
4244	Bradley And Carr Catch Their Limits On Potomac, But Finish Mid-Pack	Underwatertimes	2012-03-18	US
4245	N.S. rejects calls for moratorium on fish farming	CBC News	2012-03-15	CA
4246	Florida Law Makes Serving Local Fish an Increasing Challenge	browardpalmbeach	2012-03-15	US
4247	Japan's Tsunami-Stricken Fishermen Chart New Course		2012-03-14	JP
4248	Malaysian fisherman released after three-and-half-year prison sentence	the borneo post	2012-03-13	MY
4249	St. Lawrence River named best place to fish in the country	7 News	2021-03-20	US
4250	Historic River Pollution Threatens Coastal Great Lakes Fish	Associated Press	2021-03-28	US

169 of [218 - pages.]