In McMurdo Sound life flourishes
The creatures here grow extremely slowly
but that does mean they can reach a great age and great size
and they occur in surprisingly large numbers
Three meter long carnivorous nemertean worms,
red sea stars
and urchins carpet the sea floor
This monster worm will eat almost anything and is constantly scanning the sea floor for food
Animals are swarming here in such numbers because of this: a dead seal pup
Such a great quantity of food may only arrive once in 10 years, but the seal’s body won't be easy to eat
Nemerteans have a snout like a harpoon that enables them to puncture the skin of the corpse
It's harder work for the sea stars. They feed by pushing out their stomachs through their mouths
as this sea star presses its stomach against the seal’s skin
it secretes digestive juices that dissolve the seal’s tissue
But that takes time
These scavengers will feed here throughout the summer until all that remains of the seal will be a skeleton
stripped bare
