Containing lots of marine species only found in Brazil, the country’s Abrolhos Bank reef was already considered one of the world’s most important. And now scientists have realised they missed a bit.
You might wonder how exactly they failed to notice a new coral reef, especially as it’s big enough to double the size of the existing Abrolhos Bank network.
The answer is depth – these reefs, which sit as far as 120 miles off the coast, are also in waters varying from 20-70 meters in depth. The new structures were discovered using a special sonar technique that creates a 3D image of the ocean floor.
The scientists reckon the new reefs have 30 times more life diversity than the already known, shallower Brazilian reefs. Let’s hope somebody slaps a preservation order on them before an industrial fishing fleet moves and turn the lot to cat food.
See Science Daily for more on the new Brazilian reefs.
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