Antarctic Earthquakes Trigger Rapid Surface Phytoplankton Blooms

New research links underwater earthquakes near the Australian Antarctic Ridge to boosted surface phytoplankton blooms by enhancing iron release from hydrothermal vents, speeding nutrient delivery to the surface and cascading through the Southern Ocean food web, with potential implications for ocean carbon uptake and climate models. The study combines decades of satellite data with seismic records and points to a surprising, faster-than-expected pathway from deep-sea fluids to surface life.