Comfort zone: Borealis mud volcano is sanctuary for Arctic sea life
There are perhaps few places less hospitable than a mud volcano 400 metres below the ocean's surface - yet, as it transpires - the Borealis Mud Volcano, the second only of its kind to be discovered in the Norwegian waters, is quite the haven for marine life.
You’d be forgiven for thinking there are few places less hospitable than a mud volcano at around 400 metres beneath the surface of the ocean. But what if you were to discover that such an environment is actually something of a sanctuary for a vast number of marine species?
Well, life has been discovered in far more peculiar places. And, as it transpires, the Borealis Mud Volcano – the second only of its kind to be discovered in the Norwegian waters – is quite the haven; playing a unique ecological role for several marine species in the Barents sea.
This revelation has been happened upon by scientists at the Ocean Census – a global programme on a mission to accelerate the discovery and protection of life in the ocean before it’s too late – and their latest expedition into the Arctic’s Barents Sea to discover the life living on the seafloor in some of the most remote and perceptibly least hospitable regions of the Earth.
A rare find made by scientists including Professor Alex Rogers, Denise Swanborn, and colleagues on the AKMA3 oceanographic expedition, the underwater volcano was first discovered by those at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2023 when it received a lot of media attention. Over the years since, those researchers – in collaboration with REV Ocean – have been working on the publication of their findings: that while it may seem like the least likely spot to find a vibrant ecosystem, the Borealis Mud Volcano is, in fact, a sanctuary for several marine species.
Parts of the crater floor of the Borealis do, indeed, appear inhospitable to a variety of organisms. It’s the carbonate crusts – a type of mineral formed thousands of years ago – that characterised Borealis, however, that provide a “suitably hard substrate” for species including anemones, serpulids, demosponges, and sparse octocoral colonies.
In addition to this, the carbonates offer both shelter and feeding opportunities, playing an important role in sustaining the local fish populations. In fact, the researchers even observed large schools of commercially valuable species including saithe and various demersal species including spotted wolffish, cod, four-bearded rockling, and redfish, all clustering around the jagged carbonate formations.
These are discoveries that position the Borealis Mud Volcano as somewhat of an “oasis in which different species can thrive and flourish.”

Professor Giuliana Panieri, lead author of the study, published recently in Nature Communications, said: “The redfish, for instance, is red listed and we don’t know the consequences if it would disappear.
“Thus, preserving ecosystems such as the Borealis Mud Volcano is essential for maintaining biodiversity and understanding the interactions between geology, geochemistry, and biology in marine environments.
“We need that understanding, among other things, considering that the Arctic seabed plays an important role in oil and gas extraction activities and the emerging deep-sea mining industry.”
It was onboard the research vessel, Kronprins Haakon in May 2024 that researchers confirmed these discoveries. Using the remotely operated vehicle, ROV Aurora, the team was able to make a series of observations of the underwater volcano.
Among other things, they found that it warms its surroundings to 11.5°C, while the seabed usually has a temperature of around 4°C. Researchers also found sediments containing extinct, microscopic marine organisms from up to 2.5 million years ago and that small ‘mud cones’ in the volcanic system are emitting vigorous methane-rich liquids.
The fact that the seabed around the volcano is also characterised by extensive carbonate deposits indicates that methane has leaked out, probably for thousands of years.
“The Borealis Mud Volcano is a unique geological and ecological phenomenon that provides a rare insight into the complex interactions between geological processes and marine ecosystems,” said Professor Panieri. “It is important to preserve these unique habitats, which play a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity.”
In the longer term, Norway has committed to the 30×30 target to protect 30% of its land and sea habitats by 2030 for spatial conservation measures, including in the deep sea. Protecting large areas of the deep-sea floor along the Norwegian margin may result in seep refugia acting as a source populations for wider recolonisation and restoration of benthic biological communities.
“The new findings show the power of international cooperation and how such cooperation can contribute to increasing our understanding of the world’s oceans,” said Professor Panieri.

"*" indicates required fields
Printed editions
Current issue
Back issues

Back Issues
Issue 39 Special Edition: OPY2024

Back Issues
Issue 37 Wild Alaska: River & Ocean
Enjoy so much more from Oceanographic Magazine by becoming a subscriber.
A range of subscription options are available.