Coral Reef Off Benin Found Alive After 60 Years Presumed Dead
- Beninese researchers have rediscovered a thriving deep-water coral reef in the Gulf of Guinea, proving an ecosystem long presumed dead for 60 years is actually healthy and teeming with marine life.
- 1960s surveys initially identified the reef but mistakenly declared it dead, leading to decades of neglect until project lead Gérrard Zinzindohoué secured a $20,000 National Geographic Explorers grant in January 2025.
- At 175 feet below the surface, the coral garden consists of patchy communities on rocky substrates, supporting eight coral types and eight fish species, including golden African snappers and Monrovia doctorfish.
- This finding allows scientists to study carbon dating and paleoclimatic shifts to understand regional ocean history, while researcher Houangninan Midinoudewa noted the site supports local livelihoods and provides fish for communities.
- Advocating for full protection, Midinoudewa hopes the discovery sparks further exploration of underserved West African waters and may establish a marine protected area around the site.
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In front of Benin, underwater cameras show a living coral garden with soft corals and eight fish species at a depth of 54 metres.
Coral Reef Long Presumed Dead Is Rediscovered 'Teeming with Life' Off Coast of Africa
A coral reef long presumed dead has been rediscovered “teeming with life” off the coast of West Africa. Surveys conducted in the 1960s that were focused on identifying promising fishing areas, flagged a possible deep-water coral reef, but scientists at the time it assumed must be dead. Now, using a modern sonar survey, scientists have […] The post Coral Reef Long Presumed Dead Is Rediscovered ‘Teeming with Life’ Off Coast of Africa appeared firs…
'Dead' coral reef found alive and thriving off West Africa
A deep-ocean coral reef presumed dead for nearly 60 years off the coast of Benin was recently rediscovered and is teeming with life. A team of oceanographers led by Gérard Zinzindohoué at the Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin documented their findings in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, which highlights just how much is left to learn about West Africa’s underwater ecosystems. Scientists first identified the …
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Coral reef presumed dead for 60 years found alive off Africa
The researchers say it's possible that further surveys will identify more reefs.
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