Deep within the South Pacific, scientists have explored a uncommon stretch of pristine corals formed like roses off the coast of Tahiti. The reef is considered one of many largest discovered at such depths and appears untouched by local weather change or human actions.
Laetitia Hedouin mentioned she first noticed the corals throughout a leisure dive with an area diving membership months earlier.
"Once I went there for the primary time, I believed, `Wow -- we have to examine that reef. There's one thing particular about that reef," mentioned Hedouin, a researcher on the French Nationwide Middle for Scientific Analysis in Moorea, French Polynesia.
What struck Hedouin was that the corals seemed wholesome and weren't affected by a bleaching occasion in 2019. Corals are tiny animals that develop and kind reefs in oceans around the globe.
Globally, coral reefs have been depleted from overfishing and air pollution. Local weather change can be harming delicate corals -- together with these in areas neighboring the newly found reef -- with extreme bleaching brought on by hotter waters. Between 2009 and 2018, 14% of the world's corals had been killed, in response to a 2020 report by the International Coral Reef Monitoring Venture.
The newfound reef, stretching 2 miles (3 kilometers), was studied late final yr throughout a dive expedition supported by UNESCO. In contrast to many of the world's mapped corals, that are present in comparatively shallow waters, this one was deeper -- between 115 toes (35 meters) to 230 toes (70 meters).
Exploring such depths posed a problem: the deeper a diver goes underwater, the shorter period of time could be safely spent at every depth. The staff was geared up with particular tanks and did 200 hours of diving to check the reef, together with taking pictures, measurements and samples of the coral.
The reef is in a spot the place many researchers have not spent quite a lot of time in, mentioned former Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oceanographer Mark Eakin.
"We'll be seeing extra of those discoveries because the know-how is utilized to those areas," mentioned Eakin. "We might discover some larger ones someplace, however I believe that is all the time going to be an uncommon reef."
The current volcanic eruption in Tonga that triggered tsunami waves throughout the Pacific has not affected the reef off Tahiti, mentioned Hedouin.
Hedouin hopes the analysis might help specialists perceive how the reef has been resilient to local weather change and human pressures, and what position these deeper corals would possibly play within the ocean ecosystem. Extra dives are deliberate within the coming months.
"We all know little or no concerning the ocean, and there is nonetheless a lot that must be recorded, must be measured," mentioned Julian Barbiere, the top of UNESCO's marine coverage and regional coordination.
On this photograph offered by @alexis.rosenfeld, a researcher for the French Nationwide Centre for Scientific Analysis research corals within the waters off the coast of Tahiti of the French Polynesia in December 2021. (Alexis Rosenfeld/@alexis.rosenfeld by way of AP)
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