Research

Coral reefs found in the depths of the ocean that can survive a climate catastrophe

Coral reefs that grow onshallow waters of tropical seas are very important for people and animals. Structures made of coral polyps are home to a huge number of marine organisms from which medicines are made. Coral reefs also protect the shores from destruction - if not for them, it would be impossible to build houses and other structures on many coasts. Due to climate change, the water in the seas and oceans is oxidized, which leads to the extinction of coral reefs. It is believed that by 2100 they may completely disappear from the face of our planet, which is fraught with problems for both animals and humans. Recently, scientists from the UNESCO mission spent about 200 hours in the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Tahiti. In the so-called "twilight zone", at a depth of more than 30 meters, they found a huge and undamaged coral reef that can survive even a climate catastrophe.

Explorer while exploring a huge coral reef

Where do coral reefs grow?

Over the entire history of observations, scientists are already wellstudied coral reefs. It is known that they are composed of coral polyps and some types of algae that are able to extract lime from sea water. Best of all, reefs are formed in clear water with a temperature not lower than +20 degrees Celsius, at a depth of up to 50 meters. It is very important that a sufficient amount of gases and plankton be dissolved in the water - the so-called small organisms that drift in the water and cannot resist the flow.

Coral reefs are home to many animals.

Scientists already knew that sometimes coral reefsThey also form at great depths, where very little sunlight enters. But still, the largest corals grow at a depth of no more than 25 meters. In such conditions, reefs grow very quickly, but at the same time they suffer greatly from the effects of global warming. As I said above, an increase in air temperature leads to the oxidation of water, which causes the death of coral reefs.

dead coral reefs

According to statistics, in the 1980s the totalThe area of ​​coral reefs was 600 thousand square kilometers. In the 2000s, their area was reduced to 250 thousand square kilometers. At the same time, about a third of the world's coral reefs have been wiped off the face of our planet. If this trend continues, the wave formations protecting coastal cities will completely disappear by 2100. Some scientists say that this will happen as early as 2030.

See also: Why are coral reefs important to humanity and how to save them from destruction?

Large coral reef at the bottom of the ocean

However, The Guardian recently reportedthat there is a chance to save coral reefs. As part of the scientific work, the researchers stayed under water for more than two hundred hours. In the waters of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of the tropical island of Tahiti, they discovered a huge coral reef that stretched for as much as three kilometers. The most interesting thing is that it is located at a depth of more than 30 meters, where very little sunlight enters. It was believed that reefs could not grow in such conditions, but, to the surprise of the researchers, some corals are 2 meters in size.

Explorers over a deep sea coral reef

According to underwater photographer AlexisRosenfeld (Alexis Rosenfeld), who accompanied the explorers during the dive, it was a magical sight. He shared that the discovered coral reefs extended as far as their eyes could see. Marine scientist Murray Roberts, in turn, spoke about the need to create a detailed map of coral reefs. It is possible that there are coral reefs at great depths in other territories, but scientists do not know anything about them at the moment. It seems that many interesting discoveries await us in the future. The depths of the oceans can hide not only previously unseen animals, but also huge coral reefs.

The researchers believe that the found coral reefs may well survive global warming

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The authors of the scientific work believe that thanks tolocated at great depths, a huge coral reef may well survive a climate catastrophe. Researcher Murray Roberts shared that since shallow waters are warming much faster than deeper waters, deeper reefs can become a safe haven for corals. Only now the question arises - can living organisms live at great depths that have never dived more than 25 meters? In addition, deep coral reefs are unlikely to save people from dangerous sea waves.