Preparing to sample delicate platelet ice in Antarctica.
Platelet ice is a unique and fragile ecosystem that is little studied. It is a several-metre thick space where solid ice meets liquid water, and forms a dense, protective maze for algae and bacteria – the organisms that underpin the entire food chain.
Here, Natalie Robinson takes a moment to document her team assembling a coring tube in Antarctica, in preparation to collect these delicate layers of nutrient-rich ice.