The Schmidt Ocean Institute announced last week that an international group of researchers had discovered two “pristine” coral reefs in the waters of the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Scientists discovered the coral reef while mapping the seabed using a laser scanner on a remotely operated ship stroller.
Cold water coral reefs lie about a quarter mile below sea level, with the largest reefs being about half a mile long. Both are located in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, one of the largest marine protected areas in the world.
The coral reef is likely thousands of years old and is home to creatures such as shrimp, brittle stars (a relative of starfish), squid and other animals.
In contrast to warm, shallow water corals that feed on sunlight, deep water corals are cool, dark and deep. The temperature of these coral reefs ranges from 39 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit, and can be found in deep sea areas throughout the world. Although less researched than other shallow reefs, this coral reef also experiences the same thing trust Home to most coral species.
Because they are very dark and remote, coral reefs have not been studied as much as coral reefs in warm waters even though they have a very large animal habitat. Only a quarter of the seabed remains He was appointed Achieve resolution high enough to enable sustainable ocean management and research. New maps created in the latest research missions have high enough resolution to identify organisms on the seabed – information that will benefit future research, management of the reserve’s waters and animal populations.
Stuart Banks, senior marine scientist at the Charles Darwin Foundation, said: “Discovering deep, long-lived corals brings us an important step closer to protecting hidden dimensions of marine diversity and understanding the role deep habitats play in maintaining the health of our oceans. .” which funds conservation research in the Galapagos Islands, in a press release.
This multidisciplinary expedition is part of an ongoing journey Paying To better understand the deep water ecosystem in the region.
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2023-10-28 13:55:59
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