Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey have discovered a previously unknown species of deep-sea coral living beneath the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.

The coral, provisionally named 'Anthelia glacialis,' was found at a depth of 900 metres in water temperatures of minus 2°C. Its discovery challenges existing assumptions about the conditions under which complex marine life can thrive.

"Finding a thriving coral community in complete darkness, under hundreds of metres of ice, rewrites our understanding of biological adaptation," said the expedition's lead marine biologist.

The discovery also has implications for climate science, as the coral's growth patterns could provide a new proxy for measuring historical changes in ocean temperature and ice shelf stability over centuries.