A rare undersea find is making waves.
As rising sea temperatures threaten the health of coral reefs, researchers have released photos of a recently discovered pristine reef near the coast of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean. The recently released photographs of the November find highlight the otherworldly beauty lying 230 feet below the ocean’s surface.
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Alexis Rosenfeld, a photographer for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, told CNN the reef was “magical to witness.”
“It was like a work of art,” he said.
The reef lives at a depth called the “twilight zone,” where sunlight only partially reaches the area. But enough light penetrates the water for the reef to survive and thrive at levels not usually seen in reefs, which have suffered over the past decades. A 2021 study found that 98% of coral reefs have been affected by bleaching in the last 20 years.
“For once, it’s a positive story about coral reefs in the news, which is quite rare these days,” Julian Barbiere, the head of marine policy at UNESCO, said, adding, “The discovery suggests that there are, in fact, many more large reefs out in our ocean at depths of more than 30 meters, which have not been mapped. It’s quite a puzzling finding.”
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The unusual depth may insulate it from water temperature fluctuations that have harmed reefs in shallower water.
“We think that deeper reefs may be better protected from global warming,” said Laetitia Hedouin, a marine biologist with the French National Centre of Scientific Research. “So the discovery of this reef in such a pristine condition is good news and can inspire future conservation.”
