Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth

Scientists astonished to find 600-mile long reef under the muddy water in a site already marked for oil exploration

Satellite view of the mouth of Amazon river and Brazil coast — Scientists were ‘flabbergasted’ to discover the Amazon reef as coral usually thrives in clear, sunlit tropical waters. Photograph: Modis/Nasa

A huge 3,600 sq mile (9,300 sq km) coral reef system has been found below the muddy waters off the mouth of the river Amazon, astonishing scientists, governments and oil companies who have started to explore on top of it.

The existence of the 600-mile long reef, which ranges from about 30-120m deep and stretches from French Guiana to Brazil’s Maranhão state, was not suspected because many of the world’s great rivers produce major gaps in reef systems where no corals grow.

Conservation

Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth

Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth

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Conservation

Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth

Two-thirds of Europeans support ban on glyphosate

As the planet warms, how do we decide when a plant is native?

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