Scientists Found This Stunning "Secret Garden" Of Corals Thousands Of Feet Below The Sea

[Judi Lynn]

By Jeremy Berke
27 MAY 2018, 12:42

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducted an expedition to explore uncharted waters in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico — and they found an astonishing "secret garden" of coral thousands of feet below the surface.

Using a remote-operated submersible (ROV), the researchers came across a vibrant, underwater community of bamboo corals over 7,500 feet down.

"This is a truly magnificent garden of coral fans, I don't think we've seen these densities yet in the Gulf of Mexico," one of the expedition's scientists said as the ROV revealed the collection of corals.

For a community of corals this dense to exist in the inky darkness thousands of feet below the sea, a lot of factors need to align, according to NOAA.

More:
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/scientists-found-this-stunning-secret-garden-of-corals-thousands-of-feet-below-the-sea/