Researchers mapped an immense breeding colony of Jonah’s icefish (Neopagetopsis ionah) in the southern Weddell Sea: about 60 million active nests across at least 240 km², according to a 2022 study. That figure is an estimate of nests—not a direct count of 60 million fish.
Where the icefish colony was found
The colony lay on the eastern flank of the Filchner Trough in the southern Weddell Sea, near the Filchner Ice Shelf. In February 2021, researchers aboard the German research vessel Polarstern found the nests on the seabed beneath an ice-covered sea. The Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) reports that the camera sled recorded them at depths of 420–535 metres below the ship. Purser et al.’s 2022 study describes the site and estimates the colony’s area.
What “60 million nests” means
The headline number is an extrapolation from observations and mapping. Researchers counted nests in camera images, used sonar to map the wider field, and combined nest density with the mapped area to estimate about 60 million active nests. The study estimated a density of 0.26 nests per square metre across at least approximately 240 km². It also estimated associated fish biomass at more than 60,000 tonnes. These are study estimates, not a direct census of every nest or fish.
AWI’s account reports 16,160 nests counted over 45,600 m² of photo and video coverage. Longer-range, lower-resolution side-scan sonar recorded more than 100,000 nests. Those observed counts helped establish the scale and distribution, but they do not mean scientists individually photographed all 60 million nests. AWI’s account of the discovery and field methods describes how the team used the camera sled and sonar.
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What the nests and eggs look like
AWI describes typical nests as roughly 75 centimetres across and 15 centimetres deep, with small stones in the centre. The study reports that most nests were guarded by one adult. Guarded nests held an average of 1,735 eggs, with a standard deviation of 433, according to Purser et al. These measurements describe the nests and sampled eggs; they do not establish that every nest had the same dimensions or egg count.
Why the fish are called clear-blooded
Jonah’s icefish belongs to the notothenioid group of Antarctic fishes. The phrase “clear-blooded” refers to icefish physiology, not to a new finding from the colony survey. AWI’s background on the Weddell Sea says icefishes produce antifreeze proteins that help keep their blood from freezing in the cold water. The colony study focused on the breeding ground, its distribution and its ecological significance; it did not newly discover or directly test that blood adaptation. AWI’s Weddell Sea background page provides the physiological context.
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How the researchers mapped the seabed
The nests first appeared on monitors as the vessel’s towed Ocean Floor Observation and Bathymetry System (OFOBS) sent back seabed imagery. OFOBS is a camera sled designed for seafloor surveys, including in ice-covered seas. To cover the dense field more efficiently, the team raised the sled and increased its towing speed, then used side-scan sonar to survey a wider area. The combination allowed them to document nests directly in imagery and map distribution beyond the camera’s immediate coverage.
What the discovery suggests about the ecosystem
The colony’s mapped location coincided with modified warm deep water flowing onto the Antarctic shelf. That is an association, not proof that the water flow alone caused the colony to form. The study also compared seal movement data with the nest distribution: AWI reports that 90 percent of transmitter-equipped Weddell seals’ diving activity took place in the active-nest region. The overlap suggests the concentrated fish biomass may be an important food source for seals and other predators or scavengers, but it does not show that every dive was to feed on icefish or account for the entire food web.
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What the finding means for conservation
Purser et al. argue that the ecosystem supports establishing a regional marine protected area. AWI describes a Weddell Sea MPA proposal under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), where adoption requires unanimity. The sources cited here do not establish the proposal’s legal status as of October 2026, so the colony should not be described as already protected.
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