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Huge Coral Reefs Discovered off Puerto Rico
"These reefs stand in stark contrast to declining shallow water reefs in the same area."
- Kimberly Puglise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A new discovery of thriving coral reefs off the coast of Puerto Rico may offer hope for other shallower reefs.
Scuba diving scientists discovered sprawling and diverse coral reefs at 100 to 500 feet (30 to 150 meters) below the ocean surface within a 12-mile (19-kilometer) span off the southwestern coast near La Parguera, Puerto Rico.
With the overall health of shallow coral reefs and the abundance of reef fish in Puerto Rico in decline, this finding brings hope that deeper fish stocks may help to replenish stocks on shallower reefs.