It was in August 2008 when Kasatochi Volcano, located in the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska erupted. Prior to that year, there was not really any recorded modern eruption of the said volcano. The island itself was not even monitored, so many were surprised when it erupted.
It was considered an inactive volcano, and days prior to its eruption, two biologists who were living on the island that summer felt the tremors. It was a good thing that they were advised to leave the island as 30 minutes after they left, the volcano erupted.
Kasatochi Island was home to many types of species as it boasted of a unique landscape. The rich ecosystem was gone after the August 7 eruption. Steve Delehanty of the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge says they don't know if anything survived on the island as there are really no detailed studies of how ecosystems deal with volcanic eruptions.
KUCB reports that Delehanty formed a team to observe how the island is. Entomologist Derek Sikes expected nothing but mud and ash but claimed that he was surprised with his discovery. He found bugs on the island, although most of them can be found on the beach.
"So there were definitely some survivors but the plants were not numerous enough to support insect populations, so all the insects were surviving off of matter on the beaches," Sikes said of the discovery he made a year after the Kasatochi eruption.
What's interesting is that the ecosystem started again through bugs, and not the usual plants. Now, ten years after the eruption, the team continues to document the changes in the island.
Delehanty and his team are also excited to see an update on another volcano in the Bogoslof Island, which recently erupted. They are hoping to see the same resilience of life in Kasatochi in other volcanoes as well.
