Deep Atlantic Drill Uncovers a Vast Undersea Freshwater Reservoir
A three-month expedition near Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard drilled as deep as 1,300 feet below the Atlantic seafloor and recovered about 13,200 gallons of freshwater, confirming a large reservoir that stretches from offshore New Jersey to Maine and could theoretically supply New York City for around 800 years. While the freshwater appears present in several sediment types, accessing and safely using it would be technically complex, expensive, and potentially harmful to marine ecosystems, so researchers are still estimating the reservoir’s size, connections to onshore aquifers, and whether it’s being replenished.
