Living deep-sea coral reef discovered off Benin

Scientists have discovered a thriving deep-sea coral reef off the coast of Benin, overturning a decades-old assumption that the ecosystem was dead. The finding, announced on July 20, 2026, marks the first confirmed living mesophotic coral ecosystem on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Guinea.

The reef was initially flagged during surveys in the 1960s aimed at identifying fishing grounds. Those historical reports noted a possible reef structure more than 50 meters below the surface but concluded it was likely dead. For over half a century, the feature was largely forgotten by science. A team from Benin's Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques, led by scientist Gérard Zinzindohoué, decided to investigate using modern technology.

Guided by the old survey data, the researchers mapped 11.5 kilometers of seabed with sonar, identifying promising signals. They then deployed an underwater drone and the Deep Sea Camera System, provided by the National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab, to visually inspect the area. The effort was challenging, involving long days at sea and technical difficulties, but it yielded a dramatic result.

Instead of a barren seafloor, the...