Active underwater volcanoes support complex biological communities, with dissolved minerals in the warm water sustaining a dynamic food chain.

The findings highlight the need for further exploration of similar volcanic sites to understand their impact on deep-sea ecosystems and marine biodiversity.

In 2019, marine biologist Cherisse Du Preez led a team that discovered an active underwater volcano off Vancouver Island, previously thought to be dormant.

Recently, researchers found thousands of giant eggs, known as 'mermaid’s purses', belonging to the Pacific white skate, or Bathyraja spinosissima, incubated by the geothermal heat of this active volcano.

This underwater volcano, which rises 3,600 feet and is located about a mile beneath the surface, has been releasing warm, mineral-rich water that creates ideal conditions for deep-sea life.

The discovery suggests that volcanic sites may play a significant role in deep-sea reproduction, a theory supported by previous findings near the Galápagos Islands.

These eggs, measuring around 18 to 20 inches wide, take about four years to hatch, and the warm water from the volcano may assist in their incubation.

During follow-up research, scientists documented a live Pacific white skate laying an egg, indicating that this area serves as a reproductive site not only for skates but potentially for other unidentified marine species.

Adult Pacific white skates can grow up to 6.6 feet long and typically reside in cold Pacific waters at depths between 2,600 and over 9,000 feet, making them rarely observed.

Du Preez described the volcanic environment as a 'coral garden' and a safe nursery for juvenile skates before they descend into deeper waters.

This discovery opens new avenues for scientific research on marine species' adaptation to extreme environments, with potential implications for biotechnology and medicine.

Underwater volcanoes create unique ecosystems that serve as natural laboratories for studying adaptations and interactions in extreme conditions.