Benin deep-sea coral reef found alive 60 years after being declared dead

September 14, 2026 at 05:00 AM1 min

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Scientists have discovered a healthy deep-water coral reef off the coast of Benin, more than 60 years after surveys declared it dead. The reef, located at depths over 50 meters, hosts eight coral types and eight fish species. The discovery was made using modern sonar and the National Geographic Deep Sea Camera System.

Key Facts

The reef lies more than 50 meters below the ocean surface off the coast of Benin.
Researchers scanned 11.5 kilometers of seafloor using sonar and detected two areas with reef-like signals.
The reef hosts eight coral types and eight fish species, including golden African snappers and Guinean angelfish.
The discovery was led by Gérard Zinzindohoué of the Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Bénin.

Rediscovery Expedition

Surveys in the 1960s identified a deep-water coral reef off Benin but concluded it was probably dead. More than 60 years later, scientists returned with modern sonar and the Deep Sea Camera System provided by the National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab. The team scanned 11.5 kilometers of seafloor and detected two areas with signals that looked potentially reef-like. Using an underwater drone and the Deep Sea Camera System, they obtained the first images of the seafloor and confirmed a living coral community.

Coral and Fish Diversity

Researchers observed eight different types of coral and eight fish species using the reef for shelter and feeding. The fish included golden African snappers, blackbar soldierfish, Guinean angelfish, West African goatfish, the Monrovia doctorfish, three-banded butterflyfish, and two species of damselfish. Rather than forming one solid coral wall, the reef appears to consist of separate coral patches growing on rocky sections of the seabed where conditions are suitable.