At more than 500 meters below the sea surface, an ancient and extensive coral reef has been discovered at the center of the Dohrn Canyon in the Gulf of Naples, in Italy.
The discovery was made during the ongoing scientific expedition “Demetra” aboard the research vessel Gaia Blu of the National Research Council (CNR), coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), with the involvement of scientific staff from the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, the Polytechnic University of Marche, and the University of Naples Federico II.
Explorations revealed the presence of massive structures over two meters wide, distributed along a vertical wall more than 80 meters high, formed by deep-sea hard corals commonly known as “white corals” due to their lack of color, belonging to the species Desmophyllum pertusum and Madrepora oculata.
In addition to white corals, the reef hosts a uniquely rich and biodiverse community: black corals, solitary corals, sponges, and other species of great ecological importance. The canyon walls also preserve fossil traces of ancient oysters and corals, serving as geological evidence of a distant past.
As part of the LIFE DREAM project, the site has been proposed as a new protected area within the European Natura 2000 network, confirming its significance for the conservation of marine biodiversity.