A rose-coloured coral reef was discovered in immaculate condition near the Tahitian coast, providing new hope for underwater ecosystems.
An expansive coral reef has been discovered off the coast of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean at depths previously not thought to house coral reefs.
The reef is one of the largest, most pristine discovered in the ocean’s “twilight zone”, says the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, who led the ongoing initiative.
Professor Murray Roberts, a leading marine scientist from the University of Edinburgh, said, “we still associate corals with the shallowest tropical seas, but here we find a previously unknown reef system”.
“As shallow waters warm faster… we may find these deeper reef systems are refuges for corals in the future.” The unusual depth of the reef has protected it from bleaching events accelerated by rising sea temperatures.
This discovery, which was made over 200 hours of diving, means that the durability of these underwater ecosystems has been underestimated. “We know that about 25% of marine species can be found in coral reefs”, he said.
The ongoing UNESCO program has researchers hopeful that more pristine coral reef ecosystems await discovery.
“We know the surface of the moon better than the deep ocean. Only 20% of the entire seabed has been mapped,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director-general.
It’s encouraging to hear of the discovery, especially as the Australian government continues to approve coal and gas projects that will ruin our own reef.
There may be a chance for the Great Barrier Reef yet as Sco Mo promised to allocate $1 billion over nine years towards slowing its destruction. That is of course only if he wins the election this year.
Despite the potential increase in funding UNESCO has urged Australia to take “accelerated action” to deal with ongoing climate damages. In September 2021, a study found that the presence of coral reefs had reduced by 50% due to overfishing and pollution contributing to habitat destruction.
Here’s hoping no matter who wins this year’s federal election, they take some action to save our reefs.
