Robot Searching for the Endurance Wreck Uncovers Bizarre Underwater Structures
The icy depths of the Weddell Sea have long protected the Antarctic's secrets. In 2019, an expedition ventured to locate the legendary wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, lost in 1915.
Although the crew did not immediately find the ship, their underwater robot, nicknamed “Lassie,” captured astonishing footage of mysterious structures scattered across the seabed—structures that have puzzled scientists for years.
Discovery of Unusual Seabed Formations
Six years after the expedition, researchers have finally clarified the nature of these formations. A study published in Frontiers in Marine Science (R.B. Connelly et al., 2025) reports that the remote seabed is covered with over a thousand circular depressions.
- Each pit is unusually clean, with sandy interiors free of the plankton debris that covers the surrounding sediments.
- This creates a strikingly geometric underwater landscape, unlike any typical Antarctic seafloor pattern.
Variety and Arrangement of Crevices
The initial images captured by “Lassie” reveal a remarkable diversity of crevices:
- Some appear solitary.
- Others gently curve in lines.
- Several cluster densely together.
The clear difference between the pristine pits and the surrounding vegetative debris immediately draws the attention of marine biologists.
“The contrast between the pristine pits and the surrounding vegetative debris is dramatic, immediately catching the attention of marine biologists.”
These formations present a unique geometric pattern unseen in typical Antarctic seafloors.
Summary
The 2019 expedition led by the robot “Lassie” uncovered over a thousand unusual circular pits in the Weddell Sea, revealing an extraordinary and puzzling underwater landscape.
Author’s summary: The discovery of numerous clean, circular seabed pits in Antarctica unveils an extraordinary, geometric underwater environment that challenges marine science understanding.