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When iceberg A68 broke away from Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf in 2017, it exposed seafloor that had been hidden beneath the ice. In January 2019, researchers sent a remotely operated vehicle to survey part of that newly accessible habitat. Across five dives and 27 hours of video, the team recorded 1,036 active fish nests in 277 groups—an important snapshot, not a count of the region’s entire nesting population.
How did the iceberg reveal the fish nests?
A68 calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in 2017, opening access to seabed that had been covered by the iceberg. During the Weddell Sea Expedition 2019, researchers surveyed waters around Larsen C while the expedition also sought the wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance.
On five days in January 2019, the team operated the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Lassie from the research vessel SA Agulhas II. The survey produced 27 hours of video. The dives covered January 14–23, 2019, according to the PANGAEA dive dataset. The study describes the Weddell Sea as “one of Earth’s most remote and least studied regions.”
The iceberg’s movement made the survey possible; it did not itself reveal or count the nests. Researchers found them by inspecting ROV footage of the seafloor.
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How many nests did the robot find?
Researchers recorded 1,036 active nests across 277 groups, along with 93 nests classified as inactive. They observed larvae in or around 72 active nests. Active and inactive nests appeared at depths of 290 to 411 metres.
These numbers describe what the team documented on five ROV dives. They are not an estimate of the total number of nests in the western Weddell Sea or the full extent of a breeding colony. The survey’s observations establish a notable nesting site, but do not provide a population-wide count.
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What did the nests look like?
The study classified six arrangements by their visible geometry. Clusters were the most common, accounting for over 42% of the nests. Singular nests were the second most abundant and had the largest mean diameter.
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|---|---|---|
| Cluster | Nests grouped closely together | Over 42% of nests; the most common arrangement |
| Crescent | Nests arranged in a crescent shape | No separate frequency or size figure stated in the study |
| Line | Nests arranged in a line | No separate frequency or size figure stated in the study |
| Oval | Nests arranged in an oval | No separate frequency or size figure stated in the study |
| Sharp U | Nests arranged in a pronounced U shape | No separate frequency or size figure stated in the study |
| Singular | A nest appearing alone rather than in a group | Second most abundant arrangement; largest mean diameter |
The researchers visually inspected the footage, photographed nests with timestamps, and used image analysis to measure them. Two lasers mounted 10 centimetres apart provided a scale reference. Depressions smaller than 6.5 centimetres were excluded from the nest counts.
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Which fish made the nests?
The study attributes the nests primarily to yellowfin noties (Lindbergichthys nudifrons). This attribution is based on the video: it was the only fish species seen occupying or maintaining nests during the 27 hours of footage. The authors cannot rule out that other species made a minority of nests when no fish or eggs were visible.
Researchers classified nests as active when detritus was absent from the depression and inactive when detritus had accumulated. That classification came from video observations; the team did not collect sediment samples, and sediment size was estimated visually. No fish was filmed actively constructing a nest, so the footage does not establish how construction happens or prove that every nest belonged to the species observed at occupied sites.
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Why are the nests grouped together?
The survey documented the arrangements, but did not test their cause. The study proposes that nesting in groups could reduce the danger faced by an individual fish, an idea consistent with the selfish-herd theory. It also suggests that aggregated nests might make it harder for the predatory ribbon worm Parborlasia corrugatus to find a particular nest using chemical cues.
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Why does the finding matter?
The authors say the discovery provides evidence of structured breeding habitat that meets key criteria for a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem. They argue that it strengthens the case for the proposed Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area. The study is evidence relevant to conservation, not a new protection designation in itself.
Frontiers’ account of the discovery reports that A68 covered about 5,800 square kilometres. That figure is from the news account, rather than a measurement made by the nest study. Read the peer-reviewed study for its methods and findings, or the Frontiers news account for an accessible overview.
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