Farewell to the mystery of the Endurance - an expedition in Antarctica searched for Shackleton's ship and found more than a thousand nests perfectly aligned under the ice

Farewell to the Mystery of the Endurance

An Unexpected Discovery Beneath Antarctic Ice

What began as a search for Shackleton’s lost vessel, the Endurance, turned into a remarkable discovery in marine biology. A team of British scientists exploring the Weddell Sea stumbled upon something far beyond their expectations.

The group—comprising researchers from the University of Exeter, the Nekton Foundation, the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, and Ocean Census—had originally set out to locate the remains of the ship that sank in 1915 during Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition. However, their mission took an unexpected turn when they redirected their route toward an area newly liberated from ice following the breakup of the A68 iceberg.

As their underwater sensors scanned the seabed, the instruments began picking up unusual shapes. When the cameras moved closer, the scene that unfolded was astonishing: thousands of fish nests meticulously aligned across kilometers of ocean floor.

“We documented more than a thousand nests, each one with eggs guarded by adults. Everything was organized, as if someone had cleaned and designed the seabed.”

The incredible architects of this underwater colony are Antarctic icefish of the genus Neopagetopsis, a species once thought to live solitary lives. This finding has opened a compelling new chapter in the study of Antarctic marine ecosystems, reminding scientists that even well-explored regions still harbor stunning surprises beneath the surface.

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Author’s summary: A scientific mission seeking Shackleton’s Endurance instead uncovered thousands of aligned Antarctic fish nests, reshaping understanding of life under the Southern Ocean’s ice.

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Unión Rayo Unión Rayo — 2025-11-04

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