Scientists uncover thriving coral reef in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands.
A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, which is the first totally pristine coral reef, approximately two kilometers long, at 400 meters deep, on the summit of a submarine mountain. The reef has more than 50% living coral and is several thousand years old at least. The discovery is significant at a global level because many deepwater systems are degraded. The South American country last year expanded the Galapagos marine reserve to protect endangered migratory species between the Galapagos and the Cocos Island in Costa Rica.