Deep in the Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway, the Borealis Mud Volcano has been spewing methane for centuries and supporting a flourishing community of seafloor creatures.
Researchers have now recognized the underwater structure as a pillar of marine life in the benthic zone, the lowest ecological region of a body of water, where species are specially equipped to survive extreme living conditions.
The distinctive environment has been detailed in a new study published in Nature Communications. The international research team involved with the study put a particular focus on the importance of the mud volcano’s methane emissions; normally methane is associated with greenhouse gas and climate impacts, but it also plays an important role in forming complex, biodiverse ecosystems like the one surrounding Borealis.
