International Team Finds New Microbial Life in 62-Square-Mile Mercer Subglacial Lake
Updated
Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jul 11
International Team Finds New Microbial Life in 62-Square-Mile Mercer Subglacial Lake
1 articles · Updated · Worldatlas.com · Jul 11
Summary
2025 findings from an international team led by the Korea Polar Research Institute identified previously unknown microbial communities in Mercer Subglacial Lake beneath West Antarctica.
Mercer spans about 62 square miles under roughly 3,500 feet of ice, and researchers say the discovery strengthens evidence that isolated subglacial environments can support life far from sunlight and the surface.
Samples came from a December 2018 SALA expedition that drilled into the lake with a hot-water system using 99.9%-effective bacterial filters and UV treatment to limit contamination.
The work builds on earlier Antarctic lake studies, including direct sampling at Lake Whillans and genetic evidence from the much larger Lake Vostok, extending the case that buried lakes preserve distinct microbial ecosystems.