A previously unseen deep-sea reef with corals was discovered in the marine reserve of the Galapagos Islands
Poti two-kilometer reef discovered underwaterresearcher at a depth of more than 400 m, on top of an underwater volcano. It is located in the center of a large archipelago. Before this groundbreaking find, Wellington Reef, off the coast of Darwin Island, was thought to be one of the few coral reefs to survive the region's El Niño of 1982–1984. It turned out he was not the only one.
The scientists also discovered a collection of corals,believed to be thousands of years old, as well as a wide variety of marine life nestling among the structures, including octopuses, sea urchins and squat lobsters.
"The skeletons of dead corals that make upthe remaining 80-90% are still home to a huge variety of life that is less dependent on living parts. However, the reefs we have found in the last few days have 50-60% live coral in many areas, which is very rare indeed,” explained expedition co-leader Michelle Taylor from the University of Sussex.
"They are untouched and teeming with life - pinkoctopuses, bats, squat lobsters and plenty of deep sea fish, sharks and rays. These newly discovered reefs are potentially of global importance as we can watch pristine habitats evolve in our current climate crisis,” the scientists write.
First shots of the new reef
Scientists used the Alvin submersiblewhich has undergone many updates since its inception in 1964. It provided high-definition images using improved lighting and sensors.
HOV Alvin launched from the research ship Atlantis. Photo: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The discovery is part of a new study thatconducted as part of the Galápagos Deep 2023 expedition, which includes scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of Bristol, Boise State University and the University of Essex on board the research vessel Atlantis.
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