First Images Of The Newly Discovered, Stunning Amazon Coral Reef Revealed

The images of the newly discovered and stunning Amazon coral reef were released. The reef was just discovered last year during the expedition of scientists off the coast of Brazil.

BP and Total set to drill for oil near newly discovered coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon https://t.co/1q49nWEYVz pic.twitter.com/iJZejJaZFT

— Energydesk (@Energydesk) February 1, 2017

The scientists were aboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza and spotted the system about 721 feet below the sea and 62 miles off the coast. It stretches from French Guiana to Brazil's Maranhᾶo state. They saw the corals flourish in clear, sunlit water. The Amazon reef is home to over 60 species of sponges, 73 species of fish, stars and spiny lobsters, according to The Guardian.

First stunning photos revealed of Amazon river coral reefhttps://t.co/KsKVtoMtZC pic.twitter.com/LbrdoGyfAP — Blues White (@theblueswhite) January 31, 2017

Nils Asp, a researcher at the Federal University of Para in Belem, Brazil, said that this reef system is significant for many reasons, including the fact that it has unique characteristics regarding use and availability of light. He further said that it has a huge potential for new species and it is also important for the economic well-being of fishing communities along the Amazonian coastal zone.

First Photos of New Amazon Coral Reef System Released https://t.co/19zxSIg9ov pic.twitter.com/6aN8qRR5i7

— World of Nature (@WorldfNature) January 30, 2017

On the other hand, the unique and helpful system might be in danger from oil drillers. The Greenpeace campaigners have expressed their concerns regarding the oil companies such as BP, Total and Petrobras that could be given permission from the Brazilian government to drill the said area. They could have drilled about 15-20 billion of barrel reserves, according to Fox News.

Thiago Almeida, a campaigner at Greenpeace Brazil, said that they must defend the reef and the entire region at the mouth of the Amazon river basin from the corporate greed that puts profits ahead of the environment. The Greenpeace Brazil stated that there were 95 wells that had been drilled in the region, none of which found economically or technically viable gas and oil. On the other hand, the Brazilian government speculates that the region may contain about 14 billion barrels of oil.