A never-before-seen deep-sea reef has been discovered in the Galápagos Marine Reserve, providing much-needed hope for the marine environment. The discovery was made by an underwater explorer more than 1,300 feet below the surface, at the summit of an underwater volcano, in the center of a large archipelago. The 1.2-mile expanse is teeming with marine life, including octopus, sea urchins, squat lobsters, sharks, and rays. The discovery also included a collection of coral that is thought to be thousands of years old.

The newly discovered reefs are pristine and contain 50-60% live coral in many areas, which is very rare. The discovery is potentially of global significance as it can act as a canary in the mine for other reefs globally. These sites can be monitored over time to understand how pristine habitats evolve with our current climate crisis. The discovery was made possible by the Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin submersible, which has had many upgrades since its inception in 1964 and now features high-definition imaging, better lighting, and sensors.

The Galapágos Marine Reserve covers 76,448 square miles and is home to over 3,000 known species, making it one of the world's most significant areas of biodiversity. Remarkably, little of it has been subject to recent exploration, suggesting there may be more reef structures across different depths waiting to be explored. The discovery also highlights the importance of following through with the historic ocean treaty, in which nations have pledged to protect 30% of open waters by 2030.

This discovery gives hope for the future of our marine environment and emphasizes the need for further exploration and protection of our oceans.