Scientists Rediscover Thriving Coral Reef Off Benin Coast After 60 Years

Researchers have located a vibrant coral reef off the coast of Benin in West Africa, previously believed extinct since surveys in the 1960s. Using modern sonar technology and deep-sea camera systems provided by National Geographic's Exploration Technology Lab, scientists confirmed the reef's health and vitality. The discovery was published on the American Association for the Advancement of Science's EurekAlert platform and detailed in Frontiers in Marine Science.

The initial 1960s surveys identified a coral reef in deep waters over 50 meters below the surface but assumed it was dead. Lead author Gérard Zinzindohoué from Benin's Fisheries and Oceanographic Research Institute explained that the reef is a mesophotic coral ecosystem, which thrives in low-light conditions deeper than typical shallow reefs. Unlike continuous shallow reefs, this ecosystem appears as isolated coral communities scattered across rocky seabeds.

The team conducted an 11.5-kilometer sonar scan, identifying two promising sites. Subsequent underwater drone and camera inspections revealed a healthy reef hosting eight coral species and at least eight fish species, including the African golden snapper and the West African mullet. The reef is not a continuous structure but clusters growing on suitable rocky surfaces. Zinzindohoué suggested that other undocumented mesophotic reefs likely exist in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond, emphasizing the limited current knowledge of West African coastal ecosystems.

Further research is needed to collect physical coral samples for precise species identification and to understand the reef's history and ecological changes over time. The researchers highlighted the importance of returning to the site with scientific diving and sampling programs to expand knowledge of these poorly understood ecosystems. Zinzindohoué expressed excitement about uncovering the reef's history and its implications for oceanic changes in the region, describing the discovery as the beginning of reading a long-hidden archive beneath the sea.

Summary: Scientists rediscovered a thriving mesophotic coral reef off Benin's coast, previously thought extinct since the 1960s, using modern sonar and underwater cameras. The reef hosts diverse coral and fish species, prompting calls for further research to understand its ecology and history.

Points: - A vibrant coral reef off Benin, thought extinct since the 1960s, has been rediscovered alive. - Modern sonar and underwater cameras confirmed a healthy mesophotic coral ecosystem. - The reef hosts eight coral species and at least eight fish species, including African golden snapper. - The reef is scattered coral communities on rocky seabeds, not a continuous structure. - Researchers believe more undocumented mesophotic reefs exist in the Gulf of Guinea region. - Further scientific sampling and research are needed to study the reef's species and history.

Topic: general israel_relevant: false Entities: {"people":["Gérard Zinzindohoué"],"organizations":["American Association for the Advancement of Science","National Geographic","Fisheries and Oceanographic Research Institute"],"places":["Benin","West Africa","Gulf of Guinea"]}