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National Geographic : 1966 Jan
Contents
standard breathing equipment, but our suits had been specially fabricated for us of 5/16 inch-thick foam neoprene. The only exposed skin was a little area around the mouth, which we knew from experience would not get un comfortably cold in the 28.6° F. sea water. We adjusted our outfits against leakage, and entered the water one by one. As we descended, penetrating this forbid ding frontier, we had a feeling of other worldliness. I was apprehensive. This was truly the unknown, as hostile an environment as is found on earth. But, as we got accus tomed to this blue crystalline world, the ap prehension became mixed with a pleasant weightless feeling. We were one with the sea. Antarctic Waters Teem With Life Visibility proved excellent. We could see some 75 yards horizontally along the silver band of the crack. Overhead, from clusters of ice crystals-sometimes three to four feet long-emanated a blue-white light. The un derside of the ice was stained brown with diatoms. Among the crystals dwelt a species of Antarctic "cod," one to three inches long, and little shrimplike amphipods (above). In the water itself we found a multitude of delicate creatures: small ctenophores, or comb jellyfish; little pteropods, or winged snails, up to three-fourths of an inch long, flapping their "wings" like men trying to warm themselves on a cold day; huge jelly fish, as much as two and a half feet across the bell, with tentacles up to 35 feet long. We followed the rays of light downward and on the bottom observed a plenitude of life: starfish, ranging from two to eighteen inches across, of two different species-a big orange type and a smaller blue one always found with the tips of its arms upturned, probably tasting for food (page 61); brittle stars; nemertine, or proboscid, worms up to three feet long and an inch in diameter. Here and there patches of ice crystals had formed on the mud. The same fishes and am phipods found among the crystals above were also present among those on the bottom. Many of these bottom animals fed on seal feces. The seals were contributing to an in credibly rich food chain by feeding far afield, bringing back nutrients, and fertilizing the area. All in all, I would judge there was as great a collection of bottom life as occurs anywhere in the world. In fact, during the summer, the Antarctic oceans are considered to be the richest on earth. Twenty-four hours of sunlight and the nutrients that accumulate 63
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