Scientists just found 'deep-sea oasis' in an Arctic region thought to be barren

Scientists have discovered a "deep-sea oasis" nearly 4,000 meters beneath the Arctic Ocean that changes previous understanding of how deep-sea biodiversity works. The findings include the deepest known methane hydrate mounds, also known as Freya mounds, below the surface on the Molloy Ridge in the Greenland Sea. A team of researchers, led by Giuliana Panieri and Jonathan T. Copley, published the findings in Nature Communications. The study rewrites the understanding of how life survives in the most extreme conditions on Earth. It mentions how solid structures are trapping methane, other gases and crude oil under the Arctic seafloor. This oasis is teeming with life, as amphipods and caridean red shrimp inhabit the waters around the mounds.

Lead author Panieri, of UiT The Arctic University of Norway, said, "These hydrate mounds represent the deepest cold seeps ever found in the Arctic. They are active, dynamic systems that host unique life forms and play a role in global carbon cycling. “This discovery rewrites the playbook for Arctic deep-sea ecosystems and carbon cycling.”

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"Freya mounds" are made up of frozen methane

These are the deepest methane hydrate mounds ever recorded in the Arctic. Scientists found a thriving ecosystem supported by chemosynthesis in a region that is completely dark and has extremely cold conditions, essentially making it impossible to support life. A unique food web has formed in the region, with bacteria feeding on methane and sulfide as energy sources. The "Freya mounds" are made up of frozen methane, other gases, and crude oil and are shaped like a cone. They release massive gas flares, plumes of methane-rich bubbles that rise over 3,300 metres high. The researchers used a remotely operated vehicle named Aurora to find a whole new world where these six-metre-wide conical mounds reside.

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“Forests” of shrimp, snails, and amphipods were found

The ROV captured images of over 20 species living in this oasis, with a dense population of Sclerolinum tube worms, caridean red shrimp, snails, and amphipods present. The expedition took place in May 2024 and also led them to uncover chemical "fingerprints" that reveal the hydrocarbons (methane, propane, and butane) leaking from the seafloor originate from source rock dating back to the Miocene age, millions of years ago. This discovery alters the understanding of global carbon cycling, systems that play a critical role in how the greenhouse gas methane is stored and released from the seabed. The gas mixture also includes ethane, propane, and butane, suggesting that they are coming from deep in the Earth's crust.

Deep-sea mining

Norway opened this Arctic region for seabed mineral exploration in early 2024. Following pressure from the public, it paused issuing new mining licenses and has suspended public funding for further seabed mineral mapping until at least the end of 2029. This discovery proves that there is a lot humans still don't know about seafloors. It is crucial to know about them before we go digging them up, something that can have grave consequences.