New Coral Reef Found within the Galapagos | Reef Builders
A brand new coral reef has been found off the Galapagos islands. The 1.2 miles-long, 400m deep pristine coral reef was discovered on the summit of a submarine mountain by a deepwater scientific expedition. Ecuador’s setting minister Jose Davalos declared that “Galapagos surprises us once more!”
Earlier than discovering this newest discover, scientists believed that there was just one surviving reef referred to as Wellington Reef, alongside the coast of Darwin Island. El Nino wiped out all the things else in 1982/83, however the brand new deepwater discovery reveals that a minimum of one different reef survived, and it has over 50% coral protection.
“This is essential at a world stage as a result of many deepwater methods are degraded,” Stuart Banks, Senior marine researcher on the Charles Darwin Basis, informed Reuters. He participated within the expedition and added that this newest deepwater reef is a number of thousand years outdated a minimum of.
Famed for large tortoises, marine iguanas, and Charles Darwin’s discoveries, The Galapagos islands are part of the country of Ecuador. Final 12 months the South American nation expanded the Galapagos marine reserve by 60,000 sq. km (23,166 sq. miles). 138,000 sq. km of marine reserve have been already in place defending endangered migratory species between the Galapagos and the Cocos Island in Costa Rica.
Video of the newly found reef reveals fish, crabs, urchins, brittle stars, anemones, and non-photosynthetic corals.
Picture credit UBristol/WHOI/UEssex/UBoise/NERC/NSF/National Park Galapagos/Handout via REUTERS
