Hidden World Beneath the Ice: Scientists Discover Mysterious Life in Antarctica's Secret Lake (Photos)

Deep beneath an eleven-meter layer of ice in Antarctica lies the hidden Lake Enigma. In such a harsh environment, where the average annual air temperature is -14 degrees, one would think that nothing could survive; however, astonishingly, "life found a way."

This is detailed in a study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment. During the first expedition in 2019-2020, scientists were surprised to discover that there was indeed liquid water in this location.

The temperature minimum here is around -40.7 degrees Celsius, leading to the belief that the lake freezes solid to the bottom. Even if it doesn't, the abundant sunlight, strong winds, and minimal precipitation should have caused the lake to dry up long ago.

The presence of the subglacial lake motivated them to return with new equipment to explore what lies beneath. It turned out that the lake reaches depths of up to 23 meters in some areas, and its water is characterized by a high concentration of oxygen. Scientists also hypothesized that Enigma is replenished with water from the nearby Amorphus Glacier through hidden sources.

Such harsh conditions seemingly should not allow life to thrive; however, it became evident that the lake has become home to a vast array of diverse bacteria, forming dense "mats" on the bottom up to about 8 meters deep. Below this depth, the bacterial mats become less dense and are covered with small conical structures.

Cyanobacteria dominate these mats, but more exotic bacteria, such as members of the group Patescibacteria. These mysterious and tiny organisms typically live by parasitizing other bacteria or in symbiosis with them under normal conditions, and as such, we still know very little about them. It is known that they lack genes responsible for energy production through respiration, forcing them to obtain energy from other organisms. Therefore, it was quite surprising that in some areas of the lake, representatives of this group made up to 54% of all bacteria.

It is suggested that at least some of the local strains are predators that feed on other bacteria. However, it is premature to discuss their behavior, as they have not been found in other areas of Antarctica.

Another remarkable discovery was the presence of eukaryotic organisms in the form of cryptophyte algae. These unicellular entities engage in photosynthesis in the lake, feeding on sunlight beneath 11 meters of ice. However, it is also possible that they occasionally consume other bacteria when light is insufficient.

The study of Enigma has shown that even in such extreme conditions, life is possible with very unusual survival strategies. Further research on the lake will not only help understand the evolution of our planet through the lens of this ancient microbial ecosystem but will also allow us to imagine how potential ecosystems beyond our planet might appear.

As previously reported, a Croatian scientist injected herself with a cocktail of dangerous viruses to cure her cancer. Remarkably, she succeeded.