Mapping the Sub-Ice Platelet Layer in Antarctica

<p dir="ltr">With drone footage by Anthony Powell and Remotely Operated Vehicle (underwater) footage by Dr Leigh Tait.</p><p dir="ltr">Transcript:<br></p><p dir="ltr">Sea ice spans the coast of Antarctica during the winter months. In McMurdo Sound, underneath this sea ice, billows of platelet crystals attach to form the sub-ice platelet layer.</p><p dir="ltr">This unique environment, in-between sea ice and the ocean, is home to the tiny creatures at the base of the food chain, feeding the marine mammals and birds we all know and love.</p><p dir="ltr">To measure its thickness, we towed geophysical instruments behind a skidoo, a non-invasive method where magnetic fields penetrate down through the sea ice and measure the thickness of the different layers.</p><p dir="ltr">Concerningly, 4 of the past 7 years have seen later forming sea ice across McMurdo Sound. But does this later forming sea ice mean we are also getting reduced sub-ice platelet layer thickness?</p><p dir="ltr">By understanding how changes to sea ice formation influence this critical habitat, we can protect the ecosystems that depend on it.</p>