Now, scientists have discovered evidence of a whole community of complex organisms – fungi, worms, and even tardigrades – that call the Antrim Shale home. That's pretty surprising, given the Antrim Shale is an ancient deposit of organic-rich mud some 350 million years old that now serves as one of the United States' largest gas fields. Organic-rich rocks and water deep within the Antrim Shale teem with life. We also put the water onto nutrient media to grow the actual fungi," Moon explained. "Many deep environments, including the Antrim Shale, have extensively been shown to contain bacteria and archaea."