A vast white coral reef has been discovered in the Gulf of Naples at a depth exceeding 500 metres, according to the Italian Research Council (CNR). The reef, found in the Dohrn Canyon off the coast of Naples, contains important species and fossil traces, marking a rare event for the Mediterranean.
Explored by a remotely operated submarine during an EU-funded mission, the reef features massive structures over 2 metres wide along a vertical wall more than 80 metres high. These formations are composed of deep-water hard corals, including Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata, commonly known as white corals due to their lack of colour.
The reef also hosts black corals, solitary corals, sponges, and other ecologically important species, as well as fossil traces of oysters and ancient corals. The CNR described these fossils as "true geological testimonies of a distant past."
Mission leader Giorgio Castellan called the finding "exceptional for Italian seas," noting that bioconstructions of this magnitude had never been observed in the Dohrn Canyon and are rarely seen elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The discovery will aid scientists in understanding the ecological role of deep coral habitats and their distribution, particularly for conservation and restoration efforts.
