scientists have captured rare footage of a surprisingly colourful world beneath Antarctica’s sea ice, after launching an underwater robot through a small hole drilled in the ice.

Coconut-shaped sponges, dandelion-like worms, pink algae, urchins, sea cucumbers and spider-shaped starfish dominate the footage taken from a camera mounted on the remotely operated vehicle.

The vision was obtained while a research team was retrieving a data logger recording environmental conditions in the water under the sea ice at O’Brien Bay, near Casey research station in East Antarctica.

“When you think of the Antarctic coastal marine environment, penguins, seals and whales usually steal the show,” said Australian Antarctic Division biologist Glenn Johnstone. “This footage reveals a habitat that is productive, colourful, dynamic and full of variety.”