Long Presumed Dead, a Thriving Coral Reef Is Discovered in West Africa (yale.edu)
(Wednesday July 22, 2026 @11:00AM (BeauHD)
from the hide-and-seek dept.)
- Reference: 0184574682
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/07/22/049248/long-presumed-dead-a-thriving-coral-reef-is-discovered-in-west-africa
- Source link: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/benin-coral-reef
Scientists have [1]rediscovered a healthy coral reef off the coast of Benin [2]more than 60 years after surveyors first hinted at its existence . "At least eight coral types and eight fish species have formed a thriving ecosystem on this long-forgotten site," reports Inside Climate News. "What they had captured was a wealth of marine life: six types of soft coral; two black corals; and eight species of sheltering fish, from golden African snappers to the Monrovia doctorfish." From the report:
> While no coral samples have yet been extracted, researchers have classified the site as a mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCE). Such systems are light-dependent communities existing at the lower limits of reef-building corals. At more than 175 feet below the surface, the coral garden they discovered appears patchily scattered on a rocky substrate. Bridging the gap between shallow reefs and deeper benthic habitats, MCEs are home to distinct species and unique environmental conditions. While scientists are increasingly recognizing their ecological and climatic importance, they remain among the least explored elements of tropical and subtropical marine biodiversity. And this one has real potential to unlock new information about coral history.
>
> "Since it's an undisturbed marine ecosystem, it can help through carbon dating or paleoclimatic study to tell us which kind of climate system has occurred here in the past," said [Gerard Zinzindohoue, the project lead for Coral Reefs Rediscovering & Exploration in Benin]. "It's better to know the past to help explain the present, and help know which kind of direction we can take in the future." In addition to the blackbar soldierfish, West African goatfish, and Guinean angelfish filmed darting through the reef, the discovery presents potential conservation claims for other marine life. "We will be advocating for its full protection, perhaps by setting up a marine protected area around it," said [Houangninan Midinoudewa, an oceanographic researcher at the Benin Marine Conservation Club], who specializes in elasmobranchs -- the study of sharks, rays, and skates.
>
> Midinoudewa is currently submitting an application to designate the area as an Important Shark and Ray Area with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Based on the knowledge of local fishermen, Midinoudewa is confident the reef is home to sawback angel sharks, silky sharks, brown skates, and marbled stingrays. The team behind the discovery hopes this will spark a wave of similar discoveries in the waters off West Africa, an area of the world underserved by scientific research projects. "I hope the Gulf of Guinea will be a hub for research because we know our resources are being exploited and people [need to] know exactly what we have and why we should care," said Midinoudewa. Zinzindohoue agrees: "We don't need to wait for others to come to our country to show us what is under our sea. We are the ones who must take responsibility."
[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/07/20/underwater-drones-coral-reefs-benin-presumed-dead-teeming-life-frontiers-marine-science
[2] https://e360.yale.edu/digest/benin-coral-reef
> While no coral samples have yet been extracted, researchers have classified the site as a mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCE). Such systems are light-dependent communities existing at the lower limits of reef-building corals. At more than 175 feet below the surface, the coral garden they discovered appears patchily scattered on a rocky substrate. Bridging the gap between shallow reefs and deeper benthic habitats, MCEs are home to distinct species and unique environmental conditions. While scientists are increasingly recognizing their ecological and climatic importance, they remain among the least explored elements of tropical and subtropical marine biodiversity. And this one has real potential to unlock new information about coral history.
>
> "Since it's an undisturbed marine ecosystem, it can help through carbon dating or paleoclimatic study to tell us which kind of climate system has occurred here in the past," said [Gerard Zinzindohoue, the project lead for Coral Reefs Rediscovering & Exploration in Benin]. "It's better to know the past to help explain the present, and help know which kind of direction we can take in the future." In addition to the blackbar soldierfish, West African goatfish, and Guinean angelfish filmed darting through the reef, the discovery presents potential conservation claims for other marine life. "We will be advocating for its full protection, perhaps by setting up a marine protected area around it," said [Houangninan Midinoudewa, an oceanographic researcher at the Benin Marine Conservation Club], who specializes in elasmobranchs -- the study of sharks, rays, and skates.
>
> Midinoudewa is currently submitting an application to designate the area as an Important Shark and Ray Area with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Based on the knowledge of local fishermen, Midinoudewa is confident the reef is home to sawback angel sharks, silky sharks, brown skates, and marbled stingrays. The team behind the discovery hopes this will spark a wave of similar discoveries in the waters off West Africa, an area of the world underserved by scientific research projects. "I hope the Gulf of Guinea will be a hub for research because we know our resources are being exploited and people [need to] know exactly what we have and why we should care," said Midinoudewa. Zinzindohoue agrees: "We don't need to wait for others to come to our country to show us what is under our sea. We are the ones who must take responsibility."
[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/07/20/underwater-drones-coral-reefs-benin-presumed-dead-teeming-life-frontiers-marine-science
[2] https://e360.yale.edu/digest/benin-coral-reef
"in" West Africa ? (Score:2)
by Black Parrot ( 19622 )
OK, I'm picking nits.
Re: (Score:2)
by caseih ( 160668 )
And the Great Barrier Reef is "in" Australia. Presumably in the outback some where.
Re: (Score:2)
by Powercntrl ( 458442 )
> And the Great Barrier Reef is "in" Australia. Presumably in the outback some where.
Nah, see I know that is bullshit because I've been to Outback plenty of times and ain't never seen any damn coral! The Bloomin' Onion is pretty decent, though.
Netcraft Confirms (Score:2)
by SlashbotAgent ( 6477336 )
Well, perhaps not Netcraft.
Powercntrl confirms the Great Barrier Reef is dead.
Re: (Score:2)
by sabbede ( 2678435 )
It's pretty obviously in Tweeds Head NSW. Off Coral St.
Peace and quiet (Score:2)
by devslash0 ( 4203435 )
You'd be amazed at what any ecosystem can achieve if you leave it alone and let it do its work uninterrupted. Coral reef or software development team alike.
No, that's just (Score:2)
by Tablizer ( 95088 )
...Mitch McConnell
Re: (Score:2)
by rickb928 ( 945187 )
Only one example of the species...
Presumed Dead? (Score:3, Interesting)
They presumed it dead because no one (in the scientific community) ever looked at it, even when it was "first" discovered. That is an embarrassingly presumptuous and stupid position to take.
Then there is the "rediscovery" aspect. It wasn't much of a "rediscovery" for the fishermen that told them where to find it and what species were being found/caught there.
But, have no fear! These white knights are charging in to reclassify/designate the reef and end the fishermen's livelihoods. They're going to save it by collecting samples and drilling corals while excluding others. Nice.
Re:Presumed Dead? (Score:4, Informative)
> Then there is the "rediscovery" aspect. It wasn't much of a "rediscovery" for the fishermen that told them where to find it and what species were being found/caught there. But, have no fear! These white knights are charging in to reclassify/designate the reef and end the fishermen's livelihoods. They're going to save it by collecting samples and drilling corals while excluding others. Nice.
From the article [1]https://e360.yale.edu/digest/b... [yale.edu] " “ The fishermen’s boats are not used to going that far offshore , so it was risky for everyone,” said Zinzindohoué, whose team battled repeated engine failures and months of nausea-filled fieldwork before finally locating two strong sonar echoes pinging from the depths below."
so it sounds like it wasn't actually a fishing site, although apparently the local fishers knew what kinds of fish were in the area.
[1] https://e360.yale.edu/digest/benin-coral-reef
Re: (Score:2)
> That is an embarrassingly presumptuous and stupid position to take.
Tell that to the people who did the surveys in the 60s:
> 1960s surveys, focused on identifying promising fishing areas, flagged a possible deep-water coral reef but assumed it must be dead
> The historical surveys had identified a possible reef more than 50 meters beneath the surface and declared that it was probably dead
Re: (Score:2)
I thought it wasn't much of a rediscovery if its existence was only hinted at by surveys 60 years ago. If we thought there might be a reef, and now we've found it, that's "discovery", right?
Re: (Score:2)
> They presumed it dead because no one (in the scientific community) ever looked at it, even when it was "first" discovered.
There's a simpler explanation. The reef is named BSD. :-)