An international, Uruguay-led team of scientists has discovered that the deep-sea coral reefs off Uruguay’s coast are thriving — primarily consisting of a species recently listed as vulnerable to extinction — on a Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) expedition that ended on September 19.
According to SOI, the reefs, built by Desmophyllum pertusum, a slow-growing, cold-water stony coral, were healthier, larger, and richer with life than anticipated.
One of the largest reef complexes was found at 300 metres' depth and covered an area of 1.3 square kilometres. The tallest mound measured 40 metres in height.
“We always expect to find the unexpected, but the diversity and complexity of what we found exceeded all our expectations,” said the expedition’s chief scientist, Dr Alvar Carranza of the Universidad de la República and the Centro Universitario Regional del Este.
Carranza and others had first detected the coral reefs in 2010 using mapping technology.
Using SOI's remotely operated vehicle SuBastian on board the research vessel Falkor (Too), the team observed a mix of both temperate and subtropical species, supported by warm and cold water currents that meet off Uruguay’s coast.
The species found living among the reefs included bellowsfish (also known as hummingbird fish), slit shell snails, groupers, and sharks.
Carranza said the data collected from the expedition will guide how Uruguay’s marine resources are managed
SOI said that while there is only one confirmed vulnerable marine ecosystem in Uruguay at this time, the 29-day expedition provides evidence that more vulnerable areas exist.
The team discovered at least 30 suspected new species, including sponges, snails, and crustaceans. They documented hundreds of species never before seen in Uruguayan waters, such as crystal squids, the dumbo octopus, and tripod fish.
They were also the first to explore the wreck of ROU Uruguay, a Cannon-class destroyer escort that initially served with the US Navy as USS Baron during World War II. The United States transferred it to Uruguay in 1952, and it was used for several decades as a patrol and training ship until being sunk as a target during a naval exercise in 1995.
The science team spent a full day studying the wreck, which now serves as a reef habitat. They also collected data to better understand how the shipwreck has changed over time and to assess the presence of any contaminants.
SOI's latest Uruguay expedition commenced after being temporarily postponed in August due to a technical issue identified on Falkor (Too).
SOI said the vessel had already departed Montevideo in August for its "Visualising the Deep off Uruguay" expedition but was forced to return to port for repairs after her A-frame suffered a malfunction in the early days of the voyage.
In a statement, SOI explained that the A-frame suddenly ceased functioning while it was being raised. No one was injured in the incident, which the institute had described as "very rare."