19 September 2025 / Kiel. An international research team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has discovered a globally unique system on the seabed off the coast of Papua New Guinea. During their expedition aboard the research vessel SONNE, they came across the “Karambusel” field, where hydrothermal vents and methane seeps occur immediately adjacent to one another. The discovery is significant not only for geology but also provides new insights into the development of deep-sea communities. The study describing the discovery is published today in the journal Scientific Reports.

An international research team led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has discovered a globally unique system on the seabed off the coast of Papua New Guinea, researchers discovered a novel type of hydrothermal field where two processes occur simultaneously: the release of hot hydrothermal fluids and unusually high amounts of methane and other hydrocarbons. This combination makes the system unique worldwide. It lies at a depth of around 1,300 metres on a flank of Conical Seamount in the western Pacific, off the island of Lihir in Papua New Guinea. A study presenting the discovery was published today in Scientific Reports.