Twilight Reefs Come Alive: Hidden Benin Mesophotic Gardens Discovered
A Frontiers in Marine Science study reports living mesophotic coral gardens off Benin in the Gulf of Guinea at about 54 meters depth, found after decades when researchers thought such reefs were dead. Using side-scan sonar, underwater cameras, and a drone, scientists documented patchy hard-bottom habitats with octocorals, black corals, and multiple fish species, suggesting these twilight reefs may be refuges from warming and are more widespread but underexplored. Limitations include surveying only one of two identified areas and lacking coral samples for definitive identifications.
