World's Largest Deep Sea Coral Reef | 24 Jan 2024

Source: DH

Why in News?

Scientists have mapped the largest known deep-sea coral reef, located off the Atlantic coast of the United States.

  • The reef's existence has been acknowledged by scientists since the 1960s, but only recently has the advent of underwater mapping technology enabled the creation of clear 3D images depicting its dimensions.

What are the Features of the Newly Found Reef?

  • About:
    • The reef spans approximately 500 km in length, stretching from Florida to South Carolina. At certain points, its width reaches up to 110 km.
      • The reef’s area is almost three times larger than Yellowstone National Park.
      • Discovered at depths ranging from 200 to 1,000 meters, the reef exists in areas beyond the reach of sunlight.
        • Unlike the recently found coral reef which is the largest in deep water, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in Shallow water.
    • A scientist mentioned the potential discovery of larger deep-sea reefs in the future, pointing out that only approximately 25% of the world's ocean floor has been thoroughly mapped in high resolution.

What is the Difference Between Deep and Shallow Water Coral Reef?

Specifications Shallow Water Coral Deep Water Coral
Appearance Brown & Green White
Diversity High Low
Food Rely on Photosynthetic algae Feed on small plankton or available organic material
Habitats Provides to sponges, crabs, etc Provides to Sharks, Swordfish, Octopus etc
Type of Structure Rock Like Groves in the form of feathers, trees, etc
Growth Process Require sunlight Don’t require Sunlight
Distribution Less coverage of ocean floor Larger Coverage of ocean floor
Challenges Climate Change, Disturbance from Oil and Gas Drilling Climate Change, Disturbance from Oil and Gas Drilling

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQ)

Prelims

Consider the following statements: (2018)

  1. Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters.
  2. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines.
  3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only 
(c) 1 and 3 only 
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (d)

Mains:

Q. Assess the impact of global warming on the coral life system with examples. (2019)