Researchers from the Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access (SALSA) project have successfully drilled over 3,500 feet into the ice to reach the Mercer Subglacial Lake - a "hydrologically active" lake that sits under the the Whillans and Mercer ice streams in West Antarctica. By taking samples from the water in the lake, they hope to learn more about what can survive in one of the most extreme and isolated ecosystems on Earth.
