Researchers have finally drilled through half a mile of ice to reach a grounding zone where ice, sea and land in the Antarctic meet. Sampling underneath the ice reveals an unexpected population of fish and other marine life. This is surprising given the extremely cold and dark conditions under the ice sheet.

Scientists such as Ross Powell from the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project have long investigated Antarctic environments so they are well aware of the harsh conditions these bring.

As this is the first time that the grounding zone has been accessed, this is also the first time that they are getting a look at what really goes on underneath the ice.

WISSARD is funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Polar Programs. To investigate the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's (WAIS) grounding zone, it used a hot-water drill and a remote-operated vehicle developed by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln under the ANDRILL project.

On Jan. 8, scientists broke through almost 2,500 feet of ice within the Ross Ice Shelf. Once the grounding zone was accessible, over 40 project staff, technicians and scientists worked overtime collecting as much data as possible. To further observe the underside of the ice sheet, a remote-operated vehicle known as the "Deep SCINI" (Submersible Capable of Under Ice Navigation and Imaging) was deployed to explore around 4,300 square feet of the area.

While discovering fish or other forms of life beneath the ice was nothing new, despite the surprising number of marine life found by scientists, the exploration did establish that sources of energy and carbon were present.

John Priscu, a chief scientist for WISSARD, explained that the drilling project also yielded data containing crucial information on how productivity in the ice shelf and subglacial environments is connected, allowing scientists to predict how the ice shelf would react to changes in the climate.

Slawek Tulaczyk, also a chief scientist for WISSARD, was fascinated to have seen such diverse marine life in a location far away from the ocean, adding the discovery sheds light on the potential impact of melting ice sheets on the unique ecosystem, on top of existing concerns over rising sea levels.

Should the Ross Ice Shelf collapse or even just weaken, WAIS ice streams may end up flowing into the ocean more rapidly, causing sea levels to rise around the world.

The WAIS grounding zone is located roughly 530 miles away from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, which is situated in the Ross Sea in Antarctica.