• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Briefing
  • In Depth
  • Travel
    • Americas & Caribbean
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • Red Sea & Africa
    • DIVE Travel Awards
  • Equipment
    • Kit Reviews
  • Learning
  • UW Photography
    • Featured Photographers
    • Featured Videographer
    • Underwater Camera Gear
  • Destination Guides
    • Egypt
      • Introduction
      • Sinai, Sharm & Dahab
      • Hurghada and the Bays
      • Liveaboards
      • Marine life
      • Wreck Dives
    • St Helena
      • Introduction
      • Topside
      • Dive Sites
      • Marine Life
      • Wreck Dives
      • Whale Sharks
    • Fiji
      • Introduction
      • Bligh Water, Lomativiti, Lau Groups
      • Beqa Lagoon & Kadavu Group
      • Taveuni & The Somosomo Strait
      • Mamanuca & Yasawa Group
      • Marine Life
    • Mexico
      • Introduction
      • Revillagigedos & Guadalupe
      • Sea of Cortez & Baja California
      • Cozumel • Riviera Maya • Isla Mujeres
      • Central Pacific
      • Cenote diving
    • Philippines
      • Philippines Introduction
      • Need to Know
      • Top dives
      • Marine Life
      • Coron Bay wrecks
      • Topside
      • Video playlist
DIVE Magazine logo

DIVE Magazine

Scuba Diving Luxury Travel Magazine

New pristine deep reef discovered in Tahiti

25 January 2022
3 minutes

Divers exploring the newly discovered reef (Photo: @Alexis.Rosenfeld/1Ocean/UNESCO)

By Mark 'Crowley' Russell

A giant, pristine coral reef recently discovered off the shores of Tahiti by a UNESCO scientific expedition may hold clues for future coral conservation, according to the scientists who found it.

The 3km-long reef, densely populated with ‘rose-shaped’ coral, lies between 30-70m deep, and extends approximately 70m at its widest point. The reef was discovered as part of the UNESCO partner ‘1 Ocean‘ campaign to explore and photograph the world’s oceans, founded by French underwater photographer Alexis Rosenfeld. ‘It was magical to witness giant, beautiful rose corals which stretch for as far as the eye can see,’ said Rosenfeld after diving the reef. ‘It was like a work of art.’

The coral species that produce the giant rose-shaped corals are primarily Porties rus, which produces plates and fingers of stony corals, and Pachyseris speciosa, commonly known as  ‘ringed plate coral’. The plates of coral, some stretching up to 2m across, gave the reef the appearance of ‘a giant rose garden going as far as the eye can see, according to Dr Julian Barbière,  Head of Marine Policy and Regional Implementation Section at UNESCO’s Integovernemental Oceanographic Commission.

The pristine plate corals of the tahiti reef give the impression of a rose garden
The pristine plate corals give the impression of a rose garden (Photo: @Alexis.Rosenfeld/1Ocean/UNESCO)
A researcher taking a coral sample from the pristine Tahiti reef
A researcher taking a coral sample from the Tahiti reef (Photo: @Alexis.Rosenfeld/1Ocean/UNESCO)

The Tahiti reef is unusual in that it is one of very few reefs that exist in the ocean’s ‘twilight zone’, which stretches from 30 to 120m of depth, where light penetration begins to diminish. It is thought that the reef’s location in open water, where there is no run-off and less sedimentary dispersion in comparison to fringing reef systems, has allowed the coral to thrive in a location free from human impacts.

The reef’s depth and location – not easily visted by divers – suggests that the new discovery may not be unique. ‘There might be many more large reefs in our ocean at such depth that require more investigation,’ said Barbière. ‘This could be one of the largest coral reefs at this depth as far as we know, but the fact is that we haven’t really looked for coral reefs at this depth.’

The condition of the reef is of particular significance, as it seems to have escaped the bleaching that has caused devastation to coral reefs around the world. The deeper water is less affected by warming waters closer to the surface, which cause corals to eject the symbiotic dinoflagellates known as zooxanthellae – which live within the coral polyps and provide them with nutrients and colour – leading to the bleached appearance of the corals.

Scientists exploring the deep Tahiti reef
Scientists exploring the deep Tahiti reef (Photo: @Alexis.Rosenfeld/1Ocean/UNESCO)

The UNESCO scientists estimate that the reef took at least 25 years to reach its current extent – and appears to have escaped unscathed from bleaching events that have occurred across the region in recent years.

‘French Polynesia suffered a significant bleaching event back in 2019, however, this reef does not appear to have been significantly affected,’ said Dr Laetitia Hédouin of France’s National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), one of the scientists involved in the first diving expedition to the reef.

‘The discovery of this reef in such a pristine condition is good news and can inspire future conservation,’ said Hédouin. ‘We think that deeper reefs may be better protected from global warming.’

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Crowley (known to his mum as Mark), packed in his IT job in 2005 and spent the next nine years working as a full-time scuba diving professional. He started writing for DIVE in 2010 and hasn't stopped since.
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Latest posts by Mark 'Crowley' Russell (see all)
  • Komodo manta aggregations among largest in the world - 17 May 2022
  • Scuba diving drug mule found drowned in Australia - 10 May 2022
  • Ras Mohammed diving suspended due to shark attack risk - 2 May 2022

Filed Under: Briefing Tagged With: Climate Change, Coral Reefs, French Polynesia, Marine Conservation

Related articles

Green fins launches guide for snorkelling

Green fins launches guide for snorkelling

PADI AWARE announces 2022 conservation grants

PADI AWARE announces 2022 conservation grants

PADI announces SeaLegacy partnership

PADI announces SeaLegacy partnership

MCS Good Fish Guide update

MCS Good Fish Guide update

Shark Trust’s great Easter eggcase hunt

Shark Trust’s great Easter eggcase hunt

New wrasse identified by Maldivian scientist

New wrasse identified by Maldivian scientist

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Crowley (known to his mum as Mark), packed in his IT job in 2005 and spent the next nine years working as a full-time scuba diving professional. He started writing for DIVE in 2010 and hasn't stopped since.
Mark 'Crowley' Russell
Latest posts by Mark 'Crowley' Russell (see all)
  • Komodo manta aggregations among largest in the world - 17 May 2022
  • Scuba diving drug mule found drowned in Australia - 10 May 2022
  • Ras Mohammed diving suspended due to shark attack risk - 2 May 2022

Footer

sq kemps ridleys

FOLLOW DIVE

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Want to access DIVE on your tablet or smartphone? Press the Apple, Android or PC/Mac image below to download the app for your device

Footer Apple Footer Android Footer Mac-PC

More from DIVE

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With DIVE Magazine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2022 · Site by Syon Media