ENVIRONMENT
Protect Our Seas
News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Tahiti ’ s hidden jewel
Oceanographers have discovered a healthy coral reef at depths of 30m off the coast of Tahiti , French Polynesia . It is one of the largest discovered at that depth , according to the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization , which led the mission . Dr Julian Barbiere , from Unesco , said there were probably many more of these ecosystems “ we just don ’ t know about ”. “ We should be working to map them and to protect them ,” he said . The reef was found in November , as part of a global mission to map the seabed . French underwater photographer Alexis Rosenfeld said : “ It was magical to witness giant , beautiful rose corals stretching as far as the eye can see .”
The sound of life
Scientists studying a recovering coral reef in Indonesia say the ecosystem ’ s changes can be heard as well as seen . The reef , located off Sulawesi in the heart of the Coral Triangle , has been re-seeded with new corals as part of a decade-long restoration , and researchers were curious if marine animals were returning to the area . By listening with underwater microphones , the team recorded a cacophony of fish songs on the previously quiet reef , suggesting a remarkable recovery .
Galapagos extends reserve
Ecuador has announced the expansion of the Galapagos marine reserve , in a move that involves neighbours Colombia , Costa Rica and Panama . The existing reserve will grow to the north towards Ecuador ’ s limits with Costa Rica on the submarine mountain range of Los Cocos , which begins in Galapagos and extends to Mexico . The Cocos Ridge links the Galapagos to Cocos Island , a Costa Rican island in the Pacific , and is an area rich in biodiversity . Ecuador ’ s president has proposed the exchange of national external debt for the conservation of the archipelago . Ecuador , with 17.7 million inhabitants , faces an economic crisis aggravated by Covid-19 with an external debt of almost $ 46 billion ( 45 % of GDP ).
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