The Antarctic
6 Amazing Discoveries in Antarctica:
Point A new map of the Southern Ocean gives scientists the most detailed view to date of the seafloor surrounding Antarctica, including its deepest point often called the "Factorian Deep." Located about 24,400 feet (7,437 meters) below sea level, or 17 Empire State Buildings stacked top to bottom, Factorian Deep was only discovered in 2019. However, until now, researchers didn't know how it fit into the surrounding seabed. The new map draws from more than 1,200 sonar data sets, most of which were collected by science ships, and covers more than 18.5 million square miles (48 million square kilometers) of seafloor. Researchers hope to use seafloor charts to identify seamounts, or seamounts, that may be hot spots for marine life. 
Researchers accidentally unearthed DNA from ancient microorganisms. Some are approximately 1 million years old, while routinely collecting seafloor sediment samples in the Scotia Sea. Ancient genetic material was pulled from depths of up to 584 feet (178 m) below the sea floor and dates from between 1 million years ago to about 540,000 years ago. Scientists aren't sure which species has the oldest DNA samples, but the latest samples likely come from a group of phytoplankton known as diatoms.
4. A Huge Underground River
Researchers also discovered large underground rivers flowing beneath four separate ice masses using ice-penetrating radar installed on planes. The river is longer than the River Thames in England and drains melted ice from an area the size of France and Germany combined into the Weddell Sea. If entire regions melt due to climate change, it could raise global sea levels by up to 14.1 feet (4.3 meters), which could have catastrophic consequences.
5. Millions of Fish Nests
Scientists aboard an icebreaker in Antarctica were blown away when they saw 60 million ice fish nests spread across the bottom of the Weddell Sea. The nests were discovered by chance using a video feed of the sea floor aboard a scientific vessel that primarily wanted to study whales. The nests are 10 inches (25 centimeters) apart and cover an area of about 93 square miles (240 square km). Researchers also saw a mother fish standing guard over each nest, each of which contained an average of 1,700 eggs. The area was also littered with icefish carcasses, indicating that these enormous icefish colonies were an integral part of the local ecosystem, likely serving as prey for Weddell seals. 6. The Great Lake Under the Ice In addition to the large river, researchers discovered a city-sized lake hidden deep beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The hidden lake, named Snow Eagle Lake, has a surface area of 143 square miles (370 square km) and is located in a 2 mile (3.2 km) deep canyon beneath the ice. The team discovered the lake after three years of thorough aerial surveys over the ice sheet, using radar and special sensors designed to measure very small changes in Earth's gravity. Experts believe it could contain 34 million year old river sediments that are older than the ice sheet itself and could shed light on what Antarctica was like before the continent froze over.
