Scientists have found a pristine 3-kilometre-long reef of huge rose-shaped corals off the coast of Tahiti, in waters deep enough to shield it from the bleaching effects of the rising ocean.
The reef, which can be found at depths of more than 30 metres, grew over a period of around 25 years. Some of the rose-shaped corals have a diameter of more than 2 metres.
French photographer Alexis Rosenfeld, who headed the team that made the discovery said, ‘It was magical to witness giant, beautiful rose corals which stretch for as far as the eye can see. It was like a work of art’.
According to UNESCO, the majority of the world’s known coral reefs are found in warmer seas at depths of up to 25 metres. The reef off Tahiti is in the twilight zone, where there is still enough light for coral to grow and reproduce 30 to 120 metres below the surface.
Overheated corals lose their colour as a stress reaction known as bleaching during heat waves, and many struggle to survive. Since 2016, an estimated 80% of the corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has suffered severe bleaching.
Given that only approximately 20% of the global seabed is surveyed, according to UNESCO experts, the finding off the coast of Tahiti implies there may be many more unknown huge reefs in our oceans.
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‘It also raises questions about how coral reefs become more resilient to climate change,’ UNESCO’s head of marine policy, Julian Barbiere said. Barbiere believes that more of the ocean floor needs to be surveyed in order to better protect marine biodiversity.
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