Overview
- A Nature Communications paper confirms the Freya Hydrate Mounds on the Molloy Ridge as a record-depth cold seep, extending known hydrate outcrops by nearly 1,800 meters.
- ROV work during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep–EXTREME24 expedition documented ongoing methane seepage alongside thermogenic gas and crude oil emissions.
- Acoustic observations recorded methane flares rising more than 3,300 meters through the water column, ranking among the tallest measured globally.
- Chemosynthetic communities featuring siboglinid and maldanid tubeworms, snails, and amphipods show notable overlap with Arctic hydrothermal-vent fauna, indicating ecological connectivity.
- Seafloor imaging reveals hydrate mounds that form, destabilize, and collapse over time, offering a natural laboratory for deep carbon cycling and informing calls for precautionary Arctic governance.