Researchers have confirmed the existence of a thriving deep-water coral ecosystem on the continental shelf between Benin and Togo, solving a mystery that has puzzled scientists since the 1960s. Back then, fishing surveys operating in the Gulf of Guinea pulled pieces of coral from their nets and noted the find in official reports, but the reef's exact location was never properly documented. Over time, many assumed it had died.
More than six decades later, a team led by Beninese scientists has relocated the site using sonar mapping, underwater drones and deep-sea camera technology. What they found surprised them: a healthy mesophotic coral ecosystem, more than 50 metres below the surface and teeming with marine life.
The surveys identified at least eight coral types and eight fish species, including snappers, butterflyfish and angelfish, thriving in an area once believed to be lifeless.
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"It was a mix of excitement and disbelief," said lead researcher Gérard Zinzindohoué of Benin's Institute for Fisheries and Oceanological Research. "After all this time thinking about this reef, suddenly there was something real in front of us."
The discovery comes at a time when coral reefs worldwide face mounting pressure from climate change, overfishing and pollution. Scientists estimate that more than half of the world's coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s, making the survival of the Gulf of Guinea reef particularly remarkable.
Researchers believe the find could be just the beginning. The rediscovered reef suggests other undocumented deep-water coral ecosystems may still exist along the West African coastline, hidden from view but continuing to support marine biodiversity.
For a world increasingly accustomed to stories of ecosystem decline, this is a rare reminder that nature can still surprise us.
Source: Inside Climate News
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20072026/west-africa-thriving-coral-reef/
Picture credit : Gérard Zinzindohoué/IRHOB
