In the icy waters of Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea, a drone takes on an unexpected task.

During China's 42nd Antarctic expedition, the research icebreaker Xuelong used a drone to help recover a deep-sea scientific instrument that had been deployed on the seafloor for an entire year, more than 3,000 meters below the surface.

The move exemplifies how a small piece of technology can play a critical role in extreme ocean research.