Scientists onboard the R/V Atlantis discovered extensive, ancient deep-sea coral reefs within the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) – the first of their kind ever to be documented inside the marine protected area since it was established in 1998.
Cresting the ridge of an unmapped submerged volcano at depths between 400-600m (1,310-1,970 feet), and stretching over several kilometers, the impressive reef structure was first recorded by CDF's Senior Marine Researcher Dr. Stuart Banks, who was diving in the deep-sea research submersible Alvin alongside Dr. Michelle Taylor from the University of Essex, UK.
Commenting on the finding, our researcher Stuart Banks said:
“The captivating thing about these reefs is that they are very old and essentially pristine, unlike those found in many other parts of the world’s oceans. We’ll forge ahead with the Galapagos National Park Directorate and partners to help ensure that such newly discovered habitats are folded into the GMR and Hermandad Marine Reserve planning process and recognized as part of their considerable world heritage value”.
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Image courtesy of L. Robinson (U. Bristol), D. Fornari (WHOI), M. Taylor (U. Essex), D. Wanless (Boise State U.) NSF/NERC/HOV Alvin/WHOI MISO Facility, 2023 ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Carlos Espinosa, ©Charles Darwin Foundation. Video courtesy of L. Robinson (U. Bristol), D. Fornari (WHOI), M. Taylor (U. Essex), D. Wanless (Boise State U.) NSF/NERC/HOV Alvin, 2023 ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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