Off the seashore of Italy , scientist have get wind the country ’s first get it on coral reef . Although swash with color and full of marine life-time , this strange Rand is like very few others on Earth .
In a Modern study release this month in the journalScientific Reports , researcher from the University of Bari Aldo Moro have chronicle the discovery of Italy ’s first reef . The " unique " Rand stretch for 2.5 kilometer ( 1.5 miles ) along the Italian slide in the Adriatic Sea , passing by the pop tourist spot of Monopoli , in Puglia .
The Rand is at a deepness of between 30 - 55 meters ( 98 - 180 foot ) and is what ’s known as amesophotic ecosystem , meaning it exists in scummy light circumstance .
Most coral Reef , especially the dazzlingly colored reef in the sun - soaked tropics , obtain their energy and nutrients through a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic zooxanthellae ( algae ) , which produce their “ nutrient ” using light . However , in the mirky depths of the Adriatic Sea , Italy ’s Witwatersrand does n’t have this luxury .
rather , the researchers say the coral reef is comprised of “ non - symbioticscleractinians ” – sleep with as stony corals – that obtain most of their nutrition from suspended organic topic floating around the ocean , much like other coral reef bump in theMediterraneanand theRed Sea . This also explains why the Italian Rand is not quite as vibrantly colourize as the Great Barrier Reef and other tropic Witwatersrand , where the red coral ’ pigment fare from thealgae that live inside it ( thus when water get too warm , red coral throw out the algae , resulting in a leach of color , or " bleaching " ) .
" In the case of the Maldives or Australian barriers , the symbiotic processes between the madrepores ( stony coral that form the reefs ) are facilitate by brightness , ” Professor Guiseppe Corriero , who led the research , toldLa Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno .
“ Our roadblock lives in subdued light and therefore the madrepores establish these imposing structures of calcium carbonate with the absence of algae . ”
Nonetheless , it ’s still a singular sight .
Due to its strange feature , the researchers argue that the Rand should be considered a “ unique environment , " although it does deal similarities with other Witwatersrand in the Red Sea .
The world ’s coral reefs are under huge menace , primarily due to pollution and coral bleaching caused byrising sea temperature . In previous decade , coral bleaching upshot occurred once every 25 class or so . subject in late yearshave shown that over 100 coral reefs spread across the globe are now experiencing these event every 5.9 years
Due to the fragility of these ecosystems , as well as their note value as biodiversity hotspot , Italy ’s Regional Council of Puglia is planning oncreating a unexampled marine protected areaoff the coast of Monopoli where the young reef was discovered .
