New large coral reef discovered in the Mediterranean Sea

The reef was discovered off the Gulf of Napels

A large white coral reef containing important species and fossil traces has been found in a rare discovery.

The reef, which is at a depth of more than 500 meters, was found in Italy's Gulf of Naples, in the Mediterranean Sea.

Discovered using a remotely operated submarine the rich ecosystem is something the mission leader described as "rarely seen elsewhere in our Mediterranean".

Not only is the discovery rare, but it is vital learning for scientists.

What is a coral reef and why are they of interest?

Coral reefs might look like plants but coral is actually an animal!

Closely related to sea anemones and jellyfish coral has a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle, which they use to help anchor them to the sea floor

Sometimes you might hear them described as "rainforests of the sea".

They are of great interest to scientists as they are one of the richest marine ecosystems, meaning they host a lot of species - sometimes millions.

Because of this they play a big role in sustaining marine life.

The discovery...

Coral Reef discoveries are of huge interest to scientists

This reef was found near Naples, in a deep marine valley just off the coastline.

Some of the coral structures found are over two metres wide and 80 meters high, according to the Italian Research Council (IRC).

Using remotely operated submarine, they identified them as deep-water hard corals, commonly referred to as "white corals" due to their lack of colour.

These deep-water hard corals were found in a 2019 dive

However, the IRC also says the reef also contains contains black corals, solitary corals, sponges, and other ecologically important species, as well as fossil traces of oysters and ancient corals.

The IRC called them "true geological testimonies of a distant past."

Mission leader Giorgio Castellan said the finding was "exceptional for Italian seas".