Antarctic iceberg collapse reveals strange tentacled creatures lurking below

When a 19-mile-long iceberg broke off from the George VI Ice Shelf in Antarctica earlier this year, scientists expected to find a barren, lifeless seafloor in its wake. But what they actually discovered was a hidden marine ecosystem teeming with life, untouched for decades—or perhaps even centuries.

Aboard the Falkor (too)—yes, that's its actual name, including the parentheses—a team of researchers set out to explore the icy depths. They weren’t expecting much. Typically, when a massive chunk of ice breaks off, it disrupts the delicate balance of the ocean below, leaving behind an inhospitable void. However, they were in for a surprise.

Footage released by the Schmidt Ocean Institute , which supported the research, reveals an incredible array of marine creatures thriving in the pitch-black waters beneath the iceberg. Researchers spotted crustaceans, octopi, sea snails, worms, and fish, along with strange and previously unseen deep-sea species.


"We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem," said Patricia Esquete, a scientist from the University of Aveiro in Portugal and the chief expedition leader. "Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years."

One particularly striking discovery was a "helmet jellyfish", captured in an image with its tentacles splayed in the deep ocean—a mesmerizing glimpse into this mysterious underwater world. Other creatures included long-limbed arthropods and bright red thorny crustaceans, species that may have been isolated for generations beneath the ice.

This unexpected ecosystem provides a rare opportunity for scientists to study how life adapts in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. The fact that such a diverse range of species can survive in near-total darkness, under miles of crushing ice, raises fascinating questions about evolution and resilience.

But this research also highlights the rapid impact of climate change on Antarctica’s fragile ecosystems. As global temperatures rise due to human-driven climate change, glaciers and ice shelves are melting at alarming rates, reshaping the landscape of the Southern Ocean.

The George VI Ice Shelf, where the iceberg broke off, has been particularly vulnerable. In 2021, a study warned that it had experienced record-high surface melt, putting it at risk of further collapse.


"The George VI Ice Shelf buttresses the largest volume of upstream grounded ice of any Antarctic Peninsula ice shelf," said Alison Banwell, a research scientist with CIRES. "So if this ice shelf breaks up, ice that rests on land would flow more quickly into the ocean and contribute more to sea level rise than any other ice shelf on the Peninsula."

The discovery of this hidden marine world almost didn’t happen. The research team originally had a different expedition plan, but when they saw an opportunity to explore the newly exposed seafloor, they changed course at the last minute.

"We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below," Esquete explained.

Now, scientists are working to identify and classify the many species found beneath the iceberg—a process that could take months, if not years.