Scientists Discover Pristine Deep Sea Coral Reefs in the Galápagos Marine Reserve

Scientists onboard the R, V Atlantis have discovered extensive, ancient deepsea coral reefs within the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) the first of their kind ever to be documented inside the marine protected area since it was established in 1998. Cresting the ridge of an unmapped submerged volcano at depths between 400600m (1, 3101, 970 feet), and stretching over several kilometers, the impressive reef structure was first recorded by CDF s Senior Marine Research Dr. Stuart Banks who was diving in the deepsea research submersible Alvin alongside Dr. Michelle Taylor from the University of Essex, UK. Video courtesy of L. Robinson (U. Bristol), D. Fornari (WHOI), M. Taylor (U. Essex), D. Wanless (Boise State U. ) NSF, NERC, HOV Alvin, 2023 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution