February 16, 2022
French photographer Alexis Rosenfeld and a team of international divers have discovered a 3km-long coral reef off the coast of Tahiti that has rose-shaped corals. The reef was found in the twilight zone of the ocean.
Some of the rose-shaped corals were close to 6ft in diameter and scientists believe that it could have taken the reef close to 25 years to grow. At this depth, there is just enough light for the corals to grow and reproduce. This discovery suggests that there could be many unknown large reefs in our oceans. Scientists were also happy to see that bleaching due to climate change had not affected the reef.
Did You Know?
The twilight zone lies 650 to 3,300ft below the ocean surface, just beyond the reach of sunlight.
ACTIVITY: Know Your Corals
Make a list of any 10 coral species and mention where they are found.
Example: Coral: Rose-shaped corals
Found in: Coast of Tahiti
