“Scientists have rediscovered a coral species they presumed had gone extinct, spotting it in the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands for the first time in 24 years,” reports Smithsonian Magazine. They found
more than 250 healthy colonies of Rhizopsammia wellingtoni, a species of black stony coral that was last officially documented by researchers in 2000.
The team rediscovered R. wellingtoni while diving south of Tagus Cove off Isabela Island in January 2024,…They were searching for a new species of sea slug when they stumbled upon more than 100 colonies of the elusive coral on a rocky reef located 39 feet below the surface….Many of the corals had budding polyps, which suggests they are actively reproducing.
The world’s coral reefs are more plentiful than previously thought. “High-resolution satellite maps show that coral reefs cover an area of ocean larger than New Mexico,” reported Bloomberg News. That’s about twice the size of some prior estimates.
A very healthy coral reef is nestled among offshore oil platforms. A multivitamin could save some coral reefs.
A study found that corals recover faster on artificial structures than on natural reefs
Thriving ecosystems were recently discovered six miles down in the ocean, living off of gas that is toxic to humans.
