Exotic Creatures Found After Melting of Ice Shelves in Antarctica

After ice shelves near Antarctica collapsed due to what appears to be Global Warming, scientists have been able to observe the exotic marine life below the surface earlier this week. These crumbling ice shelves are not expected to directly cause rising seas, but since the ice shelves act like damns to slow down glaciers, without them, the glaciers may move more quickly, substantially causing rising sea levels. Although the melting ice shelves are causing a sense of worry, this event also let scientists a great opportuninty to see the unique and exciting life under the surface, which used to only be seen through holes in the thick ice. The scientists found creatures at a depth of 2,800 feet that would normally only be found in water almost three times as deep. Gauthier Chapelle and other scientists found 15 possible new species of amphipods, and four possible new species of cnidarians. Orange sea stars, fan-finned ice fish, sea cucumbers, sea squirts, and blue ice fish were among the hundreds of of speciments collected. The discovered specimens will be examined to determine whether or not they truly are newly discovered. http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/25/antarctica.icecreatures.reut/index.html