Galápagos waters yield massive deepwater corals in latest biodiversity find

Galápagos waters yield massive deepwater corals in latest biodiversity find

A team of international researchers recently discovered sprawling cold-water coral reefs in the deep waters around the Galápagos Islands. They found the corals after identifying marine areas with high wave energy and then mapping the seafloor with lasers. On Oct. 5, the team sent a submersible craft hundreds of meters below the surface to find and document two healthy reefs: one that spanned more than 800 meters (2,600 feet), the length of about…