This pristine coral reef, up to 3 kilometers long, is deep enough to have avoided the bleaching effects of global warming. It flourishes at a depth of between 35 and 70 meters, which will have served as a shield against discoloration due to increased water temperatures.
One of the healthiest reefs on the planet
The corals, discovered by a UNESCO scientific team in French Polynesia, are a visual spectacle: there are multiple corals in the shape of a rose that blooms like a marine garden. Although it is quite deep, more than enough light reaches it for it to grow . One more step and we enter a dark abyss.
It is one of the largest discoveries at depths of more than 30 meters, where sunlight levels are much lower. During 200-hour dives, the researchers were able to witness coral spawning, identifying some that extend up to 2 meters.
The 1Ocean Expedition Project, which was involved in the exploration, said the reef’s conservation status is “unmatched” at a time when global warming, pollution and overfishing threaten the survival of corals.
Finding a coral reef like this at such a depth is quite rare but, as experts point out, barely 20% of the seabed has been mapped at high resolution, so there are many unexplored parts.
“To date, we know the surface of the moon better than the depths of the ocean,” explains UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay in a press release.
Precisely for this reason, the UN agency wants to support a series of ocean expeditions over the course of this decade. And we may find information about how this reef has been able to remain intact in the face of climate change and human activities.
Reference: UNESCO
