During an expedition to the Weddell Sea in Antarctica in February 2021, scientists were able to observe a huge colony of fish, certainly the largest breeding colony ever discovered so far, reports

Current magazine on Thursday January 13.

Biology

, cited by Geo magazine.

A colony that occupies the area of ​​Malta

"We covered an area of ​​45,600 square meters and counted an incredible 16,160 fish nests in photos and videos," said Autun Purser, a biologist from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and lead author of the report.

But after analyzing the images, the scientists estimated that this colony covered an area of ​​at least 240 square kilometers, approximately that of the island of Malta, and they put the number of 60 million nests.

An “absolutely fascinating” discovery

These nests have been identified between 400 and 500 meters deep.

All belong to the same species: Neopagetopsis ionah, a fish well adapted to these difficult living conditions.

"The idea that such a large icefish breeding area in the Weddell Sea has gone undiscovered is absolutely fascinating," Autun Purser said.

Now, scientists hope that this discovery will help advance the initiative to create a marine protected area (MPA) within this area.

Indeed, launched in 2016, this marine conservation project has not yet been completed.

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