A scientific research mission has discovered one of the largest pristine coral reefs in the world, according to UNESCO. Situated in the middle of the Pacific, offTahiti,礁石长两英里,宽30到70码,使其成为迄今为止发现的最广泛的健康珊瑚礁之一。
Into the Twilight Zone
Part of what may have kept it hidden until now is the depth that the reef sits at. Most coral reefs as we know them are situated in waters down to 80 feet deep, but this one is 100-200 feet deep, placing it in the模糊地带at its deepest part and keeping it out of reach of conventional scuba divers techniques, until now.
The reef was found in November 2021, as part of an expedition to map the seabed called the Seabed 2030 Project. Its deeper than normal depth may also have protected it from bleaching events, coastal erosion, tsunamis, and damage by human activities.
“French Polynesiasuffered a significant bleaching event back in 2019 however this reef does not appear to have been significantly affected,” said Dr. Laetitia Hedouin of France’s National Centre of Scientific Research. “The discovery of this reef in such a pristine condition is good news and can inspire future conservation. We think that deeper reefs may be better protected from global warming.”
Rose coral reef
法国摄影师Alexis Rosenfeld的照片显示了Pachyseris和Leptoseris的田野,所有这些都是众所周知的低光适应珊瑚,该团队的录制为六英尺宽。联合国教科文组织花了200个小时记录了该地点,甚至目睹了珊瑚产卵。计划在未来几个月内进行进一步的潜水,以研究其生物多样性,罗森菲尔德(Rosenfeld)将其远景描述为像艺术品一样。
UNESCO is the United Nations Agency in charge of Ocean Research and the expedition is part of UNESCO’s global approach to mapping the ocean.