Researchers find coral reef undamaged by global warming near Curaçao

Researchers from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) have discovered a kilometer-long undamaged and healthy coral reef near Curaçao. This is probably mainly because the reef is located at a greater depth than the well-known coral reefs near the Caribbean island.

A research team discovered the reef by accident after three weeks of sailing back in January. According to NIOZ researcher Lennart de Nooijer, the find was not announced earlier out of fear that people would go there and damage the reef. The researchers also wanted to analyze the video images first.

De Nooijer does not want to share exactly where the coral reef is located. In any case, he calls the find "very special." "Coral reefs, in general, are doing very badly. Everything has almost disappeared," says the researcher, who is mainly talking about the shallower reefs where people can dive. These deteriorate due to pollution and water warming, among other things.

Coral reefs deeper in the sea are less affected by this, De Nooijer explains. The composition of the corals does change as the reef lies deeper. Species diversity is also decreasing. But they don't have to be less colorful. And that is not the case with this reef, which is deeper than 100 meters. "It looks a bit different, but it is a coral reef," says De Nooijer. "Those very white coral reefs are caused by bleaching." According to him, the shallower coral reefs suffer from this.

De Nooijer does not know exactly how large the newly discovered coral reef is. In any case, it's miles long, and he expects there will be "a lot more." He explains that there is no plan yet to conduct further research on the reef, as the current research program has essentially ended. "But we come there regularly," says De Nooijer, who does not rule out that measuring instruments may be installed at some point.

Fellow researcher Furu Mienis wants the protection of the Dutch deep sea while these reefs are still undamaged. "Then we won't have to restore this coral, but we will keep it healthy."