Five New Species Found In Antarctic Polar Region

December 1, 2008 6:00 a.m. EST

Miami, FL (AHN) - Five previously undiscovered species were found off Antarctica's South Orkney Islands by British scientists.

The species were among more than 1,100 animals documented by the British Antarctic Survey during what is being described as the first comprehensive inventory of sea and land animals living in a polar region.

"The work reveals a region that is rich in biodiversity and has more species than the Galapagos or some tropical regions," the BAS said in a press release.

The researchers combed the shores of the South Orkney Islands, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, on foot, the shallows using scuba diving and the depths using trawlers and a special sledge to catch animals in water as deep as 1,500 meters.

"We were amazed to find so many animals on these islands," lead author Dr. Dave Barnes said in a statement. "Of the 1,124 species recorded, there were 50 types or genus of animals - many more than we've found in one place before."