The
Aurora Australis is one of the three Antarctic marine science
research vessels, along with France's L'Astrolabe and Japan's
Umitaka Maru. Australia's ship mainly ventured
into the ocean floor and found interesting creatures.
With their voyage, Dr. Martin Riddle said that they were able to
uncover a "remarkably rich, colorful and complex range of marine
life."
There were able to discover
more about the different life forms lurking in the dark within
the deep waters. Some of these were huge worms, giant crustaceans
and sea spiders about the size of dinner plates.
The most interesting creatures they were able to encounter were the
Tunicates. They're the ones shown in the photo above. They're
glass-like animals and were the first settlers of the sea
floor.
Regarding the things they were able to discover in the deep, Riddle
said that:
This
research will help scientists understand how communities have
adapted to the unique Antarctic environment. This survey
establishes a point of reference to monitor the impact of
environmental change in Antarctic waters.
It's amazing to
be able to navigate undersea mountains and valleys and actually see
what the animals look like in their undisturbed state.
