Everyone knows that the bulk of an iceberg is underwater, so what happens when they hit the sea floor? Icebergs that scrape over the sea floor or get stuck on underwater elevations cause enormous disturbance events. Entire faunal assemblages are wiped out during such events. Scraping icebergs leave behind a diverse landscape, usually marked by “bulldozed” areas as well as ploughed sediments or piles of rock. This new, unoccupied habitat is quickly seized by mobile pioneer species. Often, patchworks of different recolonization stages form and thus enhance species diversity. Initially, scientists assumed that the seafloor fauna of the Larsen A and B area would have been strongly affected by iceberg scouring. When an ice shelf collapses, many smaller icebergs form in a shor...

Hi! I'm L. Shelby, author of the story "Frozen Witness" which is a part of the POLARIS anthology of science fiction stories that came out as a part of the International Polar Year celebration. I've been asked to demonstrate how science fiction allowed me to explore polar science. To me that feels a little backward, I usually think of this story as an example of how polar science allowed me to explore science fiction. It doesn't usually surprise people to learn that I do science research before writing science fiction stories. But it often surprises people to know that I do just as much research when I'm writing fantasy. I...

Under the former Larsen ice shelf east of the Antarctic Peninsula, deep-sea sea cucumbers and stalked feather stars were ubiquitously found in shallow waters. These animals usually inhabit far greater water depths. The main aim of the current Polarstern expedition to Antarctica is the investigation of marine ecosystems under the former Larsen ice shelf. This "white spot" with regard to biodiversity research gave rise to the following questions: What kind of life actually existed under the former floating ice shelf which was up to several hundred meters thick? What are the prospects for the future after the collapse of the ice shelf? Obviously, prosperous life did not exist in the area where the Larsen B ice shelf broke off three years ago. This is surprisin...

The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center and the Marine Technology Society’s ROV Committee organize an annual International ROV Competition for middle school through university-level students worldwide. In recognition of IPY, the 2007 competition is challenging students to design and build ROVs (“underwater robots”) for science, exploration, and industry operations in polar environments. On this blog you will learn more about the 2007 international event, which is taking place June 22-24 at Memorial University and the Institute for Ocean Technology in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. You will also hear from so...