Ocean microbes and worms sealed a methane leak in the South China Sea within two years

A 22-centimeter methane leak drilled accidentally into the South China Sea floor in 2018 was naturally sealed by an ecosystem of methane-consuming bacteria, archaea, tube worms, and crustaceans that formed in one to two years—a fraction of the 60–100 years scientists expected such systems to take to develop.

The plume height fell but methane was still leaking as of 2023; this shows ecosystem resilience but does not represent a complete or permanent solution to the leak.