If anything, this is just piles on hope (for me) that we'll eventually discover life on other planets that live in conditions we originally expect to be much too harsh to support life.<p>It seems our definition of life, or the conditions required for if to exist, are constantly challenged. From thermal tubes to 850 km from sun light, complex life forms exists in some harsh places. I'm willing to bet that we haven't even scratched the surface of the insane conditions under which life outside our understanding is able to survive and thrive.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whillans_Ice_Stream" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whillans_Ice_Stream</a><p>Mentioned in the article, "feeds" the Ross Shelf from the ice on land. Has two earthquakes every day for unknown reasons.
> But Deep-SCINI also encountered... a handful of other marine invertebrates that the team has so far declined to describe.<p>Why would they decline to describe some animal? That's an odd way to put it.<p>The only reason I know that deep sea ecosystems are considered sensitive is if the presence of species suggests oil. E.g., diatom fossils.
So, are those fish residents of that area? Or did they happen to just wander in? If it's typically pitch black there, why would they still have eyes?
Nice to see Montana State University showing up in this story. Go Bobcats!<p>The Solar Physics group has had some great work published in the past, but having the Priscu[1] group getting results like this is also amazing. Kind of funny, that they're in the College of Agriculture and working in Antarctica.<p>[1] - <a href="http://www.montana.edu/priscu/" rel="nofollow">http://www.montana.edu/priscu/</a>