In the Arctic ice, a surprising discovery reveals a hidden world teeming with life.
For decades, it was believed that the Arctic ice was a biological prison, with life suspended in eternal hibernation under temperatures as low as -15°C. However, recent research has revealed a surprising discovery: invisible creatures trapped in ice crystals.
An expedition in the summer of 2023 spent 45 days navigating between Alaska and Russia, drilling the ice and deploying underwater drones in the Chukchi Sea. What was once thought to be a frozen desert turned out to be full of hidden and active life, with thin green films of diatoms attached to the icy base.
Diatoms, organisms with silica walls, were found to be actively moving at below-zero temperatures by secreting a viscous substance that acted as a rope. This movement, driven by actin and myosin proteins, challenged previous notions of life in extreme environments. Arctic diatoms were found to move faster than their counterparts in temperate waters, showcasing a mystery of evolutionary adaptation honed over millennia. This discovery raises the question of what other secrets and forms of life the Arctic ice may still hold.
