Taft, M. (2022, January 21). Tahiti’s newly discovered coral reef is an absolute masterpiece. Gizmodo. Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://gizmodo.com/tahiti-deep-sea-coral-reef-discovery-photos-1848399477/slides/8
At the end of 2021, scientists discovered a new reef on the coast of Tahiti. It has been said that this reef is the healthiest and largest coral reef left in the oceans. This coral reef was discovered 98 to 230 feet under water which is a lot deeper than normal coral reefs. This coral reef was found in a Mesophotic region of the ocean, meaning it is deep sections of water between two shallow areas of water. This habitat allowed the coral reef to flourish because it still had access to sunlight for algae to survive in the reef. This reef has adapted to its area, making its shape extensive and flat, which allows it to possibly survive against effects of climate change.
I chose this article because it is one of the few positive articles in the news about coral reefs. Most of the time, articles are about coral reefs are about how they are dying out due to climate change. However, this article was giving hope to a future of coral reefs possibly thriving through climate change. I think it will be very interesting to see if this coral and corals like this will go through bleaching events like other coral reefs have.
I found this really interesting. I never thought coral reefs could adapt to climate change and find a new habitat. Do you think other coral reefs could adapt to deeper waters, or does this situation only work because of its geographic location?
Thanks for the great question. I think there are certain coral reefs that are learning to adapt to different water conditions like deepness, but I’m not sure if all corals will be able to go through these adaptations.