Comments on: Giant Species Found in Antarctic

By: plant girl

plant girl — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:03:29 +0000

Wow! What remarkable pictures. The tunicates are facinating. They do look like glass tulips.
Beautiful!

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:01:03 +0000

I think it is fascinating how Antarctic waters have gone from a place once thought to be mostly barren and inhospitable for life, to a perfectly functional ecosystem with a myriad of uniquely adapted organisms. We are finding new types of animals thriving in places previously never dreamt possible for supporting them, from the cold depths of Antarctica, to the sulphophilic deep sea vent ecosystems and whale falls that rely on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis to survive. The natural world consistently has shown us that it is more varied and adaptable than we can imagine. Just when we think we have a handle on things and think we know something, nature can still surprise us. I think the cold depths of the world’s oceans and deep lakes, or the precarious balance between hot and cold found at undersea vent systems, are going to produce some amazing discoveries in the future.

By: dogu4

dogu4 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:24:55 +0000

Fascinating story with interesting implications ranging from the question of “what constitutes a species” to “the impact of cold deep and isolated waters”.
I was fortunate to have spend a number of seasons down on “the Ice” and the underwater aspects were among the most fascinating examples of the science being conducted there. Antarctica truly is labratory the likes of which modern science had never had before and the wealth that is eagerly eyed as our technology becomes more capable of exploiting it, I hope will not overshadow the treasure of knowledge that it holds. As hungry as the world is for resources, nothing is as satisfying to the human spirit as the knowledge and sense of wonder at what the planet has in store for us there.
I’m looking forward to more dazzling discovery and deeper understanding as Lake Vostok and other unexamined features are revealed through international cooperation in science.

By: ScoobyLovesJazz

ScoobyLovesJazz — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:12:10 +0000

With the almost constant discovery of new creatures, it makes me wonder why there are so many that refuse to even consider the possibility of the existence of some of the more fantastic cryptids. I understand the need for guarded skepticism, but ignoring possibilities for discovery seems counter to the spirit of scientific exploration.

By: sschaper

sschaper — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:02:28 +0000

Thousands, hundreds, a dozen. Depends on the article you read. Or if you read the headline, or the quote here.

The opinion seems to be that they were rather over-zealous in claiming new species. Splitters seem to want to call every breed, race and phase as a new species, rather than the old criterion of ‘can they produce offspring?’