In this photo, provided by @ alexis.rosenfeld, researchers at the French National Center for Scientific Research are studying corals in December 2021 in the waters off Tahiti in French Polynesia. A pristine coral shaped like a rose off the coast of Tahiti. Coral reefs are considered to be one of the largest coral reefs found at such depths and appear to be unaffected by climate change and human activity. (Alexis Rosenfeld via AP /@alexis.rosenfeld)
Deep in the South Pacific, scientists explored a rare pristine coral off the coast of Tahiti, shaped like a rose. Coral reefs are considered to be one of the largest coral reefs found at such depths and appear to be unaffected by climate change and human activity.
Laetitia Hédouin said she saw corals for the first time a few months ago while doing recreational diving at a local dive club.
“The first time I went there, I thought,’Wow, we need to study the reef. There’s something special about the reef,” said Moorea, French Polynesia. Hédouin, a researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research in France, said.
What surprised Hédouin was that the corals looked healthy and were unaffected by the 2019 bleaching phenomenon. Corals are small animals that grow in the oceans of the world to form coral reefs.
Globally, coral reefs are depleted by overfishing and pollution. Climate change is also damaging delicate corals, including areas adjacent to newly discovered coral reefs, by severe bleaching caused by warmer waters. According to a 2020 report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Project, 14% of the world’s corals were killed between 2009 and 2018.
A newly discovered 2 mile (3 km) coral reef was investigated late last year during a UNESCO-sponsored diving expedition. Unlike most of the world’s mapped corals found in relatively shallow waters, this was deeper, between 115 feet (35 meters) and 230 feet (70 meters).
Exploring such depths poses a challenge: the deeper the diver goes into the water, the shorter the time can be safely spent at each depth. The team is equipped with a special aquarium and has spent 200 hours diving to study coral reefs, including coral photography, measurements and sample taking.
According to former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oceanographer Mark Eakin, coral reefs are located in places where many researchers spend less time.
“As technology is applied to these locations, these discoveries will grow even more,” Eakin said. “You might find something bigger somewhere, but I think this will always be a rare reef.”
Hédouin said the recent volcanic eruptions in Tonga that caused the tsunami across the Pacific did not affect the coral reefs off Tahiti.
Hédouin, experts understand how coral reefs are resilient to climate change and human pressure, and what role these deeper corals play in marine ecosystems. I hope it helps you to do it. More dives are planned in the coming months.
Julian Barbiere, Head of Maritime Policy and Regional Coordination at UNESCO, said:
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The Associated Press’s Department of Health Sciences is supported by the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.
Rare, pristine coral reef found off the coast of Tahiti | WGN Radio 720
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