Revived coral reef thrives off Benin coast
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Researchers from the Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin, working off the coast of Benin, a West African country, discovered a coral reef previously believed to be dead is now flourishing with life.
Investigations in the 1960s aimed to locate productive fishing grounds, and scientists at that time considered the reef likely lifeless.
Recent surveys using sonar, underwater drones, and the Deep Sea Camera System revealed healthy coral formations at depths exceeding 50 meters, teeming with diverse fish species. The team identified eight types of coral and eight species of fish including the golden African snapper, the Guinean emperor fish, the West African seabream, and the Monrovia doctorfish utilizing the reef for shelter and food.
Gérard Zinzindohoué, the lead author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, described the moment they saw the images as a mix of excitement and disbelief after decades of speculation. Zinzindohoué believes this discovery indicates that West Africa’s coastal waters likely hold other overlooked reefs, though confirming these requires further fieldwork to avoid speculation. Scientists are now working to determine whether the corals observed in the 1960s truly died and recovered, or if the initial assessment was inaccurate.
