HOV Alvin. Samuel J. Mitchell (U. Bristol) via The Guardian.
A team of scientists discovered
new coral reefs
near the Galapagos archipelago.
The team dove to depths of 1,970 feet to study previously unexplored deep-water coral communities in a region that survived a
devasting El Niño event
in 1982-83.
- Marine biologist Michelle Taylor and Stuart Banks of the Charles Darwin Foundation in Ecuador explored the region in a two-person submersible called HOV Alvin.
- The team discovered rich deep-water coral communities that may be centuries old.
- Ecuador's environment minister said the mission reaffirmed the country's commitment to participate in the establishment of new marine protected areas.
-
The governments of Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador are seeking to join their protected territorial waters to create a fishing-free area of over
200,000 square miles
(500,000 sq km) called the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR).
