They weren't ready for this jelly

October 28, 2017 10:29 AM

A team of scientists studying algae in sea ice were using a remotely operated vehicle to look for a dropped ice pick on the bottom of the Chukchi Sea when they caught a good look at a jellyfish dragging its oral tentacles along the bottom (Quirks and Quarks audio interview here). These sightings have been surprising, since scientists had assumed that the species survived winter only in a life stage called polyps–formless masses that cling to rocks and release little baby medusae in the spring. Abstract: Overwintering of gelatinous zooplankton in the coastal Arctic Ocean.
posted by mandolin conspiracy (6 comments total)

Slow motion, ocean Roombas.
posted by Oyéah at 11:08 AM on October 28, 2017 [6 favorites]

I've seen that look; it's out to walk the dog of a bitter winter's night.
posted by chavenet at 1:30 PM on October 28, 2017

Drop an ice pick on the fauna, and that screws up the nice overwinter nap.
posted by BlueHorse at 5:18 PM on October 28, 2017

I want to hear more about this ice pick that was important enough to go in after...
posted by lemonade at 3:31 PM on October 29, 2017 [2 favorites]

Me too! It's possible it's a concern about contamination? Antarctic environments can be somewhat fragile.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 8:23 AM on October 30, 2017 [2 favorites]

Based on what I heard in the Quirks and Quarks interview, I'm kind of inferring that they had the ROV on hand, a new ice pick might not be the easiest thing to come by off the coast of Barrow, Alaska, and so they thought they'd lower the ROV and have a look see.

They mention this in another one of their blog posts:

Scientists need to bring absolutely everything they need, and think they might need, with them on research expeditions, especially those to remote areas like Alaska’s North Slope. So, when, for example, you decide you must build an isopod trap late at night in Barrow, you’re pretty much limited to what you have on hand: a plastic buckets, plastic window screening, electrical tape, rocks, string.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:33 AM on October 31, 2017