The eruption of a volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands killed everything in sight on land and near the ocean. However, unlike on land, where lava lays lifeless for decades, research shows that marine life returns quickly.
By studying volcanoes, researchers found that within three years of eruption, the entire submarine volcano area flourishes with increasing numbers of phytoplankton, mature fish, squid, octopus, etc.
“It’s like a forest fire. It destroys everything but provides nutrients for growth. The difference is marine life recovers faster”-Carolina Santana González, oceanographer. Researchers believe that studying marine areas with volcanic activity could be used to understand how the climate crisis will affect oceans.