What was once thought to be a featureless abyss is in fact a dynamic, variable and biologically rich environment.
Scientists have found more than 700 new species of marine creatures in the deep, dark waters around Antarctica, seas once thought too hostile to sustain such rich biodiversity.
Groups of carnivorous sponges, free-swimming worms, crustaceans and mollusks were collected.
The findings could provide insights into the evolution of ocean life in this area. "What was once thought to be a featureless abyss is in fact a dynamic, variable and biologically rich environment," Dr Katrin Linse, an author of the paper and a marine biologist from British Antarctic Survey, said.
"Finding this extraordinary treasure trove of marine life is our first step to understanding the complex relationships between the deep ocean and distribution of marine life," Dr Linse added.
The research is designed to fill the "knowledge vacuum" that surrounds the fauna that inhabit the deeper parts of the Southern Ocean.
During three research expeditions that took place between 2002 and 2005, an international team collected tens of thousands of specimens from the Weddell Sea, from depths of between 2,539-20,826 ft.
The samples were taken from diverse settings, including the continental slope, the abyssal plain and channel
levees.
The area was teeming with life forms; well over 1,000 species were recovered, and many were completely new to science.
For example, they spotted 674 species of crustaceans, most of which had never previously been described; more than 200 marine worms, 81 of which were found to
be new species; and 76 sponges, 17
of which had previously been
unknown.
"We thought we might find some novel species, but previous research had suggested deep-sea diversity this far south would be poor," said Angelika Brandt, who is based at the Zoological Institute and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Germany.
"So we were very surprised to find such enormous diversity," she said.
The findings could help to shed light on the evolution of ocean life in this area, Professor Brandt said.
By comparing the species that are found in the deep-sea and those found in the shallower waters surrounding Antarctica, scientists will be able to better understand how climate and the environment these animals live in drove past evolutionary changes.
BBC News