Deepest gas hydrate cold seep discovered off Greenland
Scientists just found the world's deepest known gas hydrate cold seep—basically an underwater spot where methane and oil bubble up from the seafloor—off Greenland at a depth of 3,640 meters.
What's wild is that this place is packed with life, all thriving without sunlight by using chemicals for energy.
The discovery was published in Nature Communications on December 29, 2025.
How they found it & what's living there
The team explored the area during a May 2025 Arctic expedition, using a deep-diving robot to follow a massive methane flare straight to these hidden mounds.
They uncovered ancient hydrocarbons derived from Miocene-era flowering plants that once formed forests in Greenland and saw unique creatures—like tubeworms, snails, and amphipods—all feeding on microbes that turn methane and oil into food.
This community is living way deeper than most similar ecosystems ever found.
Why it matters
Finding this ecosystem gives us new insight into how life survives in extreme places and how carbon moves around deep in the Arctic Ocean.
But with talk of deep-sea mining nearby, scientists are worried about protecting these fragile habitats before they're disturbed or lost for good.