A crab is pictured at an historical and pristine coral reef discovered by a scientific expedition in the depths of the Galapagos Islands, in Ecuador, in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on April 17, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
A scientific expedition has discovered a beforehand unknown coral reef with plentiful marine life off Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, the nation’s atmosphere ministry stated on Monday.
“A deepwater scientific expedition has found the first totally pristine coral reef, approximately two kilometers (1.2 miles) long, at 400 meters (deep), on the summit of a submarine mountain,” Environment Minister Jose Davalos stated on Twitter. “Galapagos surprises us again!”
Scientists had believed that the one Galapagos reef to outlive El Nino climate in 1982 and 1983 was one known as the Wellington reef, alongside the coast of Darwin Island, however the brand new discovery reveals different coral has endured, the ministry stated in a press release.
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The reef has greater than 50% dwelling coral.
“This is very important at a global level because many deepwater systems are degraded,” stated Stuart Banks, senior marine researcher on the Charles Darwin Foundation, who participated in the expedition. The coral is a number of thousand years outdated at the very least, he added.
The South American nation final 12 months expanded the Galapagos marine reserve by 60,000 sq. km (23,166 sq. miles), an extension of the 138,000 sq. km already in place, to guard endangered migratory species between the Galapagos and the Cocos Island in Costa Rica.
The Galapagos, which impressed Charles Darwin’s concept of evolution, are additionally dwelling to large tortoises, albatrosses, cormorants and different species, a few of that are endangered.
