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Lost Coral Reef Found Alive After 60 Years
19 Sep
Summary
- Living coral and reef fish found over 50 meters deep.
- Reef first reported in 1960s, then believed dead.
- Discovery highlights vast unknown deep-water ecosystems.
A coral reef off the coast of Benin, first documented in the 1960s and long believed extinct, has been rediscovered. Researchers undertaking the Coral Reefs Rediscovery and Exploration project in Benin used advanced sonar and underwater cameras in 2025.
These tools revealed living coral communities and reef-associated fish at depths around 54 meters. This mesophotic ecosystem, existing in limited light, includes at least six soft coral types and eight fish species sheltering and feeding there.
Lead researcher Gérard Zinzindohoué expressed a mix of excitement and disbelief upon seeing the footage. The findings, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, represent the first confirmed visual evidence of living mesophotic coral on the Benin continental shelf.
The full extent of the reef, potentially spanning 40 kilometers, remains largely unexamined. This rediscovery raises critical questions about the undocumented marine life in West Africa's largely unexplored coastal waters.
