Long Presumed Dead, a Thriving Coral Reef Is Discovered in West Africa
Scientists have rediscovered a thriving coral reef off the coast of Benin that was presumed dead for over 60 years. The reef, which supports diverse marine life, was identified using historical survey data and local research efforts.
Why it matters
This discovery highlights the resilience of marine ecosystems and underscores the importance of historical data in modern environmental conservation efforts.
This article was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Soft corals discovered off the coast of Benin. Gérard Zinzindohoué / IRHOB
Sixty years after surveyors first uncovered evidence of a sprawling coral reef off the West African nation of Benin, scientists have at last found the reef.
In the 1960s, fishing surveyors off West Africa’s Benin coast hauled up heads of coral in their nets. Employed by local governments to assess fish diversity and discover potentially trawlable seabeds in the sandy-bottomed Gulf of Guinea, the researchers shrugged off the discovery at the time, burying the find in a brief paragraph in a 130-something-page report.
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