The “pristine” coral reef was discovered at depths of 30m off the coast of Tahiti
Marine explorers have found a 3-km reef in Tahiti, French Polynesia. It is one of the largest discovered at that depth, according to the United Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which led the mission that made its discovery.
The diving expedition that triggered the finding of this pristine reef in November was a part of a global seabed-mapping mission called the Seabed2030 Project and was taking place at a depth known as the ocean’s “twilight zone”.
Prof Murray Roberts, a leading marine scientist from the University of Edinburgh said to the BBC: “We still associate corals with the shallowest tropical seas but here we find a huge previously unknown coral reef system.
“As shallow waters warm faster than the deeper waters we may find these deeper reef systems are refuges for corals in the future. We need to get out there to map these special places, understand their ecological role and make sure we protect them for the future.”
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