Massive Coral Reef Discovered In The Amazon River
A team of scientists from Brazil and the United States discovered massive coral reef that stretches for about 600 miles at the mouth of the Amazon River.
The reef was said to have more than 60 species of sponges, 73 species of fish, lobsters, starfish, and other reef creatures.
It is also known that the Amazon River is the home of vast wildlife like pink dolphins and even piranhas.
According to CNN, the reef system stretches at about 3,600-square miles along the ocean floor of French Guiana to Maranhao in Brazil going to the edge of the continental shelf of South America.
The scientists were truly surprised with the discovery since large rivers like the Amazon, create gaps in reef distribution because of unlikely conditions such as salinity, pH level, and light penetration. But, this discovered coral reef system seems to be healthy, according to the article.
Patricia Yager, an associate professor at the University of Georgia, led the team who discovered the marvel.
“Our expedition into the Brazil Exclusive Economic Zone was primarily focused on sampling the mouth of the Amazon,” Yager said.
On the other hand, according to Yager, there was already a study made in the 1970s about “catching reef fish along the continental shelf and said he wanted to try to locate these reefs.”
Then, with the use of GPS and sound waves to create images of the reefs, the search has been fruitful. Yager said that they discovered the most amazing and colorful animals he has never seen before.
What can you say to this amazing discovery?
Will this coral reef system be maintained and protected from human intervention?
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