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An important and rare discovery has been made in the Gulf of napleswhere a huge white Coral reefWhich contains important species and fossil traces, has been found at a depth of more than 500 metres.
The Italian Research Council (CNR) announced the discovery, which is a remarkable Mediterranean,
Often called the “rainforests of the ocean”, coral reefs hold immense scientific interest due to their status as some of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet, harboring millions of species.
They play a vital role in maintaining marine life but are currently under great threat.
The newly identified reef, located off the coast of Naples, was uncovered by an EU-funded marine research mission.
A remotely operated submarine explored the Dohrn Canyon, a deep sea canyon located off the coast of the southern Italian city, which led to the discovery.
According to the CNR, “explorations (…) revealed the presence of massive structures more than 2 meters wide, distributed along a vertical wall more than 80 meters high”.
These impressive structures are made of the rigors of deep water CoralCommonly known as “white coral” due to the lack of color, specifically identified as the species Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata.
CNR said the reef also contains black corals, single corals, sponges and other ecologically important species, as well as oysters and fossilized traces of ancient corals.
It called them “true geological evidence of the distant past”.
Mission leader Giorgio Castellane said that the discovery was “extraordinary for Italian seas: biological formations of this kind, and on such a large scale, have never been seen in the Dohrn Valley, and have rarely been seen anywhere else in our Mediterranean”.
He said the discovery will help scientists understand the ecological role of deep coral habitats and their distribution, especially in the context of conservation and restoration efforts.