Corals Discovered Where None Were Expected

An American diving crew was exploring an area of the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Israel when they discovered a rather large section of coral reef. It was discovered roughly 700 meters below the surface. This discovery was completely unexpected because this area is generally known to have very sparse sea life. The director of the exploration project, Yizhaq Makovsky, quoted, "We did not expect, know or even imagine that we would come across these reefs and certainly not such large ones. It's like finding a flourishing oasis in the middle of the desert." This discovery also has potential to be scientifically important in the future. It can help researchers understand how coral and other deep-sea species can survive in such a dismal environment, which could lead to coral reef restoration. The diving crew states their excitement with the exploration to see what else they might come across.