News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Satellites map shallow coral
Killer queen
Deep reef discovery
ENVIRONMENT
Protect Our Seas
News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
Satellites map shallow coral
Limestone reef network in eastern Indonesia
Satellite mapping has revealed there is more coral reef area across the planet than was previously believed . Dr Mitchell Lyons from the University of Queensland , working as part of the Allen Coral Atlas project , said scientists have now identified 134,364 square miles of shallow coral reefs . The new data will allow scientists , conservationists , and policymakers to better understand and manage reef systems . “ This revises up our previous estimate of shallow reefs in the world ’ s oceans ,” Dr Lyons said . “ Importantly , the high-resolution , up-to-date mapping satellite technology also allows us to see what these habitats are made from .”
Killer queen
A solitary orca has been filmed hunting and killing a great white shark off Mossel Bay , South Africa . Scientists described the footage as “ unprecedented ”, in showing the exceptional predatory capability of killer whales . Two orcas in particular off South Africa ’ s coast have been observed working together to hunt and kill sharks , including great whites . The male killer whale killed the shark and consumed its liver - all in under two minutes . The news prompted National Geographic to release its own footage of a matriarch orca – believed to be 60 years old – body slamming and killing a great white in front of her pod . The footage is being shown in ‘ Queens ’, a new series on Disney Plus .
Deep reef discovery
Scientists have mapped the largest known deep-sea coral reef , stretching hundreds of miles around the US Atlantic coast . While researchers have
The orca matriarch slams into a young great white
PHOTO : NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOR DISNEY
An alfonsino fish swims above a thicket of Lophelia pertusa coral
44