In a much-needed win for the marine environment, a never-before-seen deep-sea coral reef has been discovered in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, featuring corals thousands of years old that are ‘full of life’.
The 1.2-mile (1.9 km) stretch was discovered by submarine explorers more than 1,300 feet (400 m) below the surface at the summit of an underwater volcano in the center of a large archipelago. Prior to this breakthrough discovery, Wellington Reef off Darwin Island was thought to be one of the few reef reefs to survive the 1982-84 El Niño event.
The deep-sea finds also uncovered a collection of coral thought to be thousands of years old, as well as a variety of marine life hiding among the structures, including octopuses, sea urchins and crouching lobsters.
“Discovered reefs are novel for several reasons. In shallow reefs finding 10-20% of coral cover is considered relatively unhealthy reefs, but in deep water this is the norm.” University of Sussex “Dead coral skeletons, which make up the remaining 80-90%, provide a very diverse habitat for life that is less dependent on living coral parts. A day with 60% live coral is very rare.
“They are pristine and full of life – pink octopuses, batfish, crouching lobsters, arrays of deep-sea fish, sharks and rays. These newly discovered reefs are of potential global importance – around the world. of other coral reef mining canaries – sites that can be monitored over time to see how pristine habitats evolve in the current climate crisis.”
This finding was made possible by Human Occupied Vehicles (HOV). Alvin The submersible has undergone many upgrades since its inception in 1964 and now features higher resolution imaging as well as better lighting and sensors.
The discovery is part of a new exploration of the Galapagos Deep Sea 2023 expedition, which includes scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Bristol University, Boise State University and the University of Essex on board the research vessel. Atlantis.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Established in 1998 by the Government of Ecuador, the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) covers 76,448 square miles (198,000 sq km) and is home to over 3,000 known species in one of the world’s most important areas of biodiversity. inhabited. Surprisingly, few have been the subject of recent exploration, suggesting that this vast deep-sea coral reef may not be there.
“Open water covers more than 95% of the known GMRs, less than 5% of which have been explored through modern research expeditions,” said Stuart Banks, senior marine researcher at the Charles Darwin Foundation. Different depths waiting to be explored.
“The attraction of these reefs is that they are very old and essentially pristine, unlike reefs found in many other parts of the world’s oceans. provides a reference point for understanding the importance of connectivity with MPAs. [Marine Protected Areas], and their role in providing goods and services such as carbon cycling and fisheries. It also helps reconstruct past marine environments to understand modern climate change. ”
The findings also highlight the importance of countries complying with historic maritime treaties that commit to protect 30% of the high seas by 2030.
Ecuador’s Environment Minister José Antonio Davalos said, “The richness of the unexplored depths of our oceans is another reason for striving to meet the Global Ocean Alliance 30×30 promise. , harmonizing sustainable economic activity with conservation.
The discovery was made as part of the ongoing Galapagos Deep 2023 expedition.
Watch the video below for a stunning world first.live corals, fossilized corals and other marine life Alvin.
Scientists discover pristine deep-sea coral reef in Galapagos Marine Reserve
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
