Several strange creatures including a psychedelic octopus have been found in frigid waters off Antarctica in one of the world’s most pristine marine environments.

Others resembled corals and shrimps. At least 30 appear to be new to science, said Julian Gutt, chief scientist of an expedition that was part of the International Polar Year research effort set to launch on March 1. The researchers catalogued about 1,000 species in an area of the Antarctic seabed where warming temperatures are believed to have caused the collapse of overlying ice shelves, affecting the marine life below.

The expedition also found sea lilies, sea cucumbers and sea urchins thriving on the sea floor—these species are usually found in much deeper waters where food is scarce, but the ice shelves probably made food scarcer than it would usually be at that shallow depth.

The international team of scientists recently completed a 10-week expedition of the area. Using a remote operating vehicle, they were able to do the first comprehensive survey of life on the seabed. Before the ice shelves collapsed, the only access scientists had to the area was through holes drilled in the ice.


Ice shelves form when creeping glaciers reach the continent’s coast and begin to float on the ocean. They usually lose mass via icebergs that calve off and float out to sea gradually, but the Larsen A and B shelves both suddenly and surprisingly collapsed. Since 1974, a total of 13,500 square kilometers (about half the size of New Jersey) of ice shelves have disintegrated—a phenomenon linked to global warming, as temperatures have risen faster in Antarctica than anywhere else in world.

wow man thats cool. Its awesome how life can still thrive in that environment and there still find new species. Thats a crazy lookin octopus.

i think he's beautiful ♥ !!! just following food source -
which at times seems farther than even science can reach -

man,thats great..........

What a trip!

I love psychadelic octopus'! Any pink elephants found yet?

What a beautiful and interesting creature. It's terrible that the place in which it lives is changing so rapidly. Who knows what will happen to creatures such as these.....

Dude that is awesome, I wonder if you would trip if you licked it or something?

Very beautiful, I love octopuses anyway but this one os grooooovy!

We should call him Austin, baby!!!!!

I think it would just bite you.

Gnarly

wow,neat looking octopus,very colorful

That octopus definitly tokes out.

Doesn't this creature look like it could be an intelligent space alien? The big head area. The little tenticles capable of fine manipulation...