Video
Icebergs
Those hunks of ice aren’t just beautiful to look at—they help support a web of life, too.

Antarctic iceberg at sea.

Jacob Ellena

They may look like inert frozen rocks, but icebergs help support an underwater world that’s full of life, as discussed in Jeff Rubin’s article, “Life on Ice.” The video below was captured by a small, remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which scientists deployed off a research vessel, the RVIB Nathaniel B Palmer, in the seas surrounding Antarctica. The ROV is maneuvered up to the side of an iceberg, where it is able to give researchers an up-close view of the ice.

Click on the image below to view the video.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

It’s important for scientists to get such close-ups in order to see what types of animals live in proximity to icebergs, such as the salp seen floating by in this video. These barrel-shaped creatures move by contracting and pumping water through their bodies.

Deploying a small, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from a ship in the Antarctic.

Stephanie Bush

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