Shallow coral Rand are often known as the rainforest of the oceans as they thrum with living and biodiversity . Most assume that these abundant ecosystem are confine to the sunshine - rich upper water , but plunk a little deeply into the twilight zone and things are not as they seem . Researchers have document that the deep waters off the glide of Hawaiiare astonishingly abundant , and even contain more endemic mintage than anywhere else in the ocean .
Aftertwo ten of documentingthe amniotic fluid around the archipelago , which stretch for 2,590 klick ( 1,609 miles ) , the scientist see there was a surprising amount of variety between the depths of 30 and 150 meters ( 98 and 492 feet ) . They discover vast alga meadows made of more than 70 different microalgae coinage , as well as all-encompassing areas of 100 percent coral cover song . These were supporting monolithic amounts of fishes and invertebrates in unequalled communities .
“ These are some of the most extensive and densely live coral reef in Hawaii , ” explain US Fish and Wildlife life scientist Anthony Montgomery , who co - authored the sketch put out inPeerJ , in astatement . “ It ’s awe-inspiring to find such rich coral communities down so late . ”
The researchers used a multitude of techniques to survey the twilight zona – acknowledge formally as the mesophotic coral zona – admit remotely operated television camera , submersible , towing tv camera system behind boat , and even commence specially fit out divers down to the bottom .
“ submersible can go much deeper and abide much longer , but underwater diver can do more complex task to conduct experimentation and collect specimens,”sayslead author Richard Pyle of the Bishop Museum . “ Combining both together on the same nose dive allowed us to achieve tasks that could not have been performed by either engineering science alone . ”
Collaborating with geologists , biologists , and botanists , the squad were capable to fully analyze the entire island chain . While in the shallower Rand around 17 percent of coinage are think to be unique – or endemic – the researchers found that below 70 beat ( 230 animal foot ) it was more like 50 percent of species . This means they were able to document the gamy rate of indigenousness ever found in a nautical ecosystem .
The coral theatre of operations at this profoundness were also vast , wholly cover areas extending for tens of square klick . These were mainly populated by the Rand - building coral of theLeptoserisgenus .
The discovery of such unbelievable life survive so far beneath the wafture has important implications for how we manage these hidden environment . Cable laying , drag dump sites , and deep sewer outfall , for example , may be irreparably damaging such ecosystems . With the Obama administrationrecently yield protectionto the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument surround the island , it seems these Witwatersrand might be protect for now .
