Antarctic Jellyfish Drifting Beneath Green Sea Ice

A single small jellyfish hangs in dark water just left of centre, its clear bell faintly outlined and its orange oral arms bunched at the middle. Several long, thin tentacles trail below it and curve out of frame in pale threads. Above, the underside of the ice fills the upper half of the picture with mottled green and teal, brightening to a luminous glow on the right. Toward the bottom the water fades to near black. A small, bright blue starburst of light sits below the jellyfish. The mood is quiet and cold, with a strong sense of depth.

The animal is identified as Diplulmaris antarctica, a scyphozoan of the family Ulmaridae. These jellyfish have marginal tentacles, elongated oral arms and a gastric cavity divided into canals, which show through the transparent bell. The species is found in Antarctic waters, and this image was made in the D'Urville Sea near the French scientific base. The pale ring of light around the ice is consistent with Snell's window, where the surface bends light into a bright circle when seen from below. The deep shadows at the bottom suit a dark desktop with icons along the edges, and the landscape framing fits widescreen monitors well.

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