New Bug Species Discovered on Whale Carcass on Bottom of Southern Ocean
Posted on April 23, 2014
A new species of bug, resembling a common woodlouse, has been found living on a whale carcass on the floor of the deep Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is also known as the Antarctic Ocean. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey say the creature, Jaera tyleri, may be unique to the whale bone habitat. It was discovered on a live video feed delivered to the RSS James Cook by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Dr Katrin Linse of NERC's British Antarctic Survey, who led the study on Jaera tyleri, says in the announcement, "It was a complete surprise. We were all really thrilled. You could never hope to find a whale fall on purpose - it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Linse also says, "After spotting them on the cameras, we used the robotic arm of the ROV to pull a few of the bones up to the ship to examine them more closely. They were absolutely covered in these little critters - there were 500 to 6,000 specimens per square metre."
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