The underwater “Lost City” of the Atlantic has species found nowhere else on the planet  

It is 120,000 years old

For years, researchers have been studying a site in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean that is unlike any other on Earth. The Lost City Hydrothermal Field is located 700 meters below the surface and is the oldest active hydrothermal field on the planet. Its age is estimated to be at least 120,000 years and the height of the jets ranges from a few centimeters to 60 meters. For millennia it has been spewing hydrogen, methane and other gases into the ocean, while on the monoliths we find communities of microbes that feed on hydrocarbons, even in the absence of oxygen.

The gases that emerge from the jets reach 40 degrees Celsius and despite the extreme environment, the landscape is full of life that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. The hydrocarbons produced by the jets were not formed by atmospheric carbon dioxide or sunlight, but solely by bottom chemical processes.

This is an example of an ecosystem that might be active on Enceladus or Europa right now. And maybe on Mars in the past. – William Brazelton, microbiologist

Unlike underwater volcanic jets, the Lost City does not depend on the heat of magma. Instead of minerals rich in iron and sulphur, the Lost City produces 100 times more hydrogen and methane, and jets are much larger than volcanic ones.

The tallest of the monoliths is called Poseidon and is 60 meters high.

Scientists are calling for the area to be protected as a World Heritage site as Poland has won mining rights around the Lost City. Any disturbance to the ecosystem can wipe it out…

This is the Lost City, a towering ecosystem in the middle of the North Atlantic. It’s completely unique, with life found nowhere else on Earth. And if someone wanted to destroy it? There’s nothing you could do about it. No laws. No consequences. Welcome to the High Seas… pic.twitter.com/mdG5wOsr5h

— Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) August 22, 2022