The first coral reef has been discovered in Italy, researchers say. The underwater ecosystem, considered unique in Europe, is discovered on the Adriatic coast near the popular coastal town of Monopoli, in Puglia. It is the first mesophotic coral reef in the Mediterranean. The term mesophotic is used for ecosystems with low light levels. These reef species are found at depths between 30 and 40 meters, even up to 200 meters. For this reason, the colors of the reef in Puglia are more subtle than the better known varieties in the Pacific.
“The famous Australian or Maldivian coral reefs rise almost to the surface of the water, using sunlight as a source of energy,” said Prof. Giuseppe Corriero, director of the Department of Biology at Aldo Moro University of Bari, who led the research project. “Mesophotic reefs are very rare because they can survive and grow despite a lack of light,” he explained.
“In the early 1990s I was a marine biologistin the Maldivesemployed. But I never imagined that 30 years later I would find a coral reef a stone’s throw from my house.”
The Puglia Reef is about 35 to 50 meters deep and over two and a half kilometers long. The researchers say it could extend for dozens of kilometers along the east coast. In the past, coral reefs were common in the Mediterranean but became extinct over time. The remains of some of these older reefs are still visible, including a small one near Mljet Island in Croatia.
Most coral reefs are less than 10,000 years old and occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean area. However, they are home to at least 25% of marine life, including fish, sponges (corals) and mollusks.
However, warming and ocean acidification have severely bleached many reefs, and most cannot grow fast enough to compensate for sea level rise caused by climate change.
