Scientists Found a Hidden World of Fungi, Worms, and Tardigrades Beneath the Great Lakes

An extraordinary fungal ecosystem has been discovered within the Antrim Shale, a rock formation deep beneath the Great Lakes.

Researchers found 689 fungal species living hundreds of feet below the surface, including 13 potentially new to science. Fungi were a consistent component of this deep subsurface microbiome, with estimates of their abundance and biomass broadly comparable to those found in marine ecosystems.

These findings challenge the assumption that fungi’s role in organic matter decomposition is largely confined to surface ecosystems. Instead, fungi may be important contributors to carbon cycling deep within the Earth, expanding our understanding of where fungi can persist and the role they play in the global carbon cycle.

Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/scientists-found-a-hidden-world-of-fungi-worms-and-tardigrades-beneath-the-great-lakes/