Discoveries in Antarctic Lake

[CalMeacham]

I didn’t see this on the news – I’m glad Yahoo news carried it, although their reporting, if not exactly sloppy, doesn’t really convey the excitement this story deserves.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100315/ap_on_sc/us_sci_antarctica_sea_life

You wouldn’t guess from their story that this was the first glimpse into an isolated, hidden bubble of life – it sounds like they just looked at the bottom of an ice sheet. Still, at least they publicized it. CNN doesn’t even seem to have anything on this.
The Chicago Trib has video:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-sci-antarctica-sea-life,0,382182.story?track=rss

[Simplicio]

Jesus, its like they’re trying to wake the Old Ones.

Pretty cool, though this seemed odd:

Yet scientists were puzzled at what the food source would be for these critters. While some microbes can make their own food out of chemicals in the ocean, complex life like the amphipod can’t, Kim said.

Presumably the larger animals eat the microbes, as happens around a thermal vent in the deep ocean, no?

[CalMeacham]

Presumably the larger animals eat the microbes, as happens around a thermal vent in the deep ocean, no?

They can, but the ultimate question is where the energy to support this ecosystem comes from (ie – they stated it badly). If it’s too dark for the sun to be a major contributor, and there aren’t any volcanic vents*, then where does the energy to run this come from?

• and wouldn’t it be cool if they found volcanic vents at the bottom of an Antarctic Lake? Maybe the Old Ones left a flashlight running, or something.

[TruCelt]

Yes, but they expected only a few microbes, not enough to support this level of life. After all, there’s no sunlight at all down there. Intriguing.

ETA: Ninja’d by Cal

[ralph124c]

And what fate awaits us, if those shoggoths are awakened>>:confused::eek:

[Crowbar_of_Irony_3]

@ralph124c

And what fate awaits us, if those shoggoths are awakened>>:confused::eek:

Flee! They will find the Mountain of Madness next!

It is a good time to start printing the “Who will be eaten first” tracts?

[Ogre]

But, as it turns out, the Shoggoths are really 3 inches long, cute, and rather tasty…

[Tom_Scud]

Apparently HP Lovecraft was looking through the wrong end of the telescope.

[RheaDark]

Wow, that’s neat. “Ice Crawlers” comes to mind.

[tdn]

@Ogre

But, as it turns out, the Shoggoths are really 3 inches long, cute, and rather tasty…

Unfortunately, it’s really hard getting butter to melt down there.

[Icerigger]

Is this Lake Vostok or something else, I can’t access the links from work.

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

Yet scientists were puzzled …

Anyone else read that as Yeti scientists? No wonder they were puzzled

[Beadalin]

I’m not clear on how they’re using the term “lake”, but no, it’s not Lake Vostok – it’s salt water beneath a sheet of ice.

In a surprising discovery about where higher life can thrive, scientists for the first time found a shrimp-like creature and a jellyfish frolicking beneath a massive Antarctic ice sheet.
…
That’s why a NASA team was surprised when they lowered a video camera to get the first long look at the underbelly of an ice sheet in Antarctica.

The site in West Antarctica is at least 12 miles from open seas. Bindschadler drilled an 8-inch-wide hole and was looking at a tiny amount of water. That means it’s unlikely that that two critters swam from great distances and were captured randomly in that small of an area, she said.

[ElvisL1ves]

Bet they find the “lake” is connected to the sea somehow after all.

[Ogre]

@ElvisL1ves

Bet they find the “lake” is connected to the sea somehow after all.

Or there are mid-plate hot spots providing energy. McMurdo is not really close to any known plate boundaries.

[Malthus]

Scientists also pulled up a tentacle they believe came from a foot-long jellyfish.

Scientists should know that if you want to see the really big tentacles, you need to lower down a Japanese schoolgirl in a heated diving suit.

[DocCathode]

I’m glad I’m not the only one to see this and think of Europa. It really is fascinating.

[Oslo_Ostragoth]

@ElvisL1ves

Bet they find the “lake” is connected to the sea somehow after all.

I’m inclined to agree, but I am in no way knowledgeable about biology.