First coral reef living in cold waters off the coast of Mauritania discovered!

The coral reef was discovered on the continental shelf off the coast of Mauritania. It measures between 50 and 60 metres high and stretches for 190 km. Scientists working on board the research vessel Maria S. Merian, while exploring the reef, observed many living creatures on it.

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When Swede Tomas Lundälv lowered the diving robot to the seabed at this location at a depth of 615 metres, the eyes of the scientists aboard the research vessel were shown a thriving reef ecosystem. Among other things, the researchers were able to observe Lophelia corals with orange-red growths, which, in addition to building the reef itself, were arranged in incredible gardens of hard-to-reach places.In addition to corals, the scientists also observed giant clams and giant shrimps.

Such amazing ecosystems were previously only known in seas much further north around Scandinavia and in the Irish Sea. Unlike its relatives in the tropical waters frequented by divers, the ecosystem found here lives in complete darkness in water containing a lot of minerals but with a temperature of only 13 degrees. Such conditions occur at depths of more than 200m. Scientists have been aware of the possibility of the existence of such ecosystems in the southern regions, but so far have only found fossilised reefs near Gibraltar and Morocco.

Photo: Derek Keats/flicker