At a depth of 600 feet beneath the West Antarctic ice sheet, a small shrimp-like creature, Lyssianasid Amphipod, managed to brighten up an otherwise gray polar day in late November 2009. This three-inch long Lyssianasid amphipod was found beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, about 12.5 miles away from open water. NASA scientists were using a borehole camera to look back up towards the ice surface when they spotted this pinkish-orange creature swimming beneath the ice.
Watch the NASA video:
Video Credit: NASA
If they had turned the camera around, they would discover that the sea bed here is crawling with life like this little fellow. Thas has been known by Norwegian marine biologists – and others – for decades. NASA obviously has a lot to learn…