Hidden Deep: Fungi and Tardigrades Thrive in the Antrim Shale's Subsurface
Scientists analyzing water pumped from the Antrim Shale gas field uncovered a surprisingly rich subterranean ecosystem, including 689 fungal species (13 potentially new), rotifers, worms, tardigrades and other organisms. Fungi from classes Agaricomycetes and Dothideomycetes appear to metabolize hard-to-digest carbon, suggesting a significant role in subsurface carbon cycling. The oxygen conditions are unclear due to sampling methods, but the community has likely been isolated for millennia since the Late Pleistocene. Human extraction and biocides threaten these habitats, highlighting their biodiversity and potential impact on carbon storage models.
