It's a common myth that the oceans surrounding Antarctica hold the most diverse array of animals on earth, but they are home to a collection of species found nowhere else.
NIWA benthic ecologist Dr Dave Bowden explains how a unique assemblage of animals evolved on the seabed of Antarctica's continental shelf. This uniqueness is a product of isolation in a very cold environment over 20-30 million years, with ice shelves advancing and retreating.