Discovery of 'pristine' coral reef near Tahiti could help save dying coral reefs around the world, scientist says
ABC News
The marine science community is buzzing with excitement after the discovery of a rare stretch of coral reef in pristine condition.
The marine science community is buzzing with excitement after the discovery of a rare stretch of coral reef in pristine condition off the coast of Tahiti and the answers it could hold to save other dying species around the world.
The 2-mile stretch of reef was recently spotted in deep waters in the South Pacific in French Polynesia, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which supported the dive mission. It is one of the largest coral reefs in the world, with reefs shaped like "giant roses," according to the Paris-based agency.
The reef system is "remarkable" and "highly unusual" due to the deep depths in which it was found and the clean and seemingly untouched ecosystem in which the reefs are thriving, according to UNESCO.
Coral reefs around the world have been affected by climate change and other environmental conditions, which has led to widespread bleaching -- when corals turn white as a result of water temperature rising -- and ocean acidification, which occurs when water's pH levels are lowered as a result of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
