‘Like a work of art’: rare stretch of pristine coral reef discovered off Tahiti

Stretching along the ocean floor for nearly 2 miles and covered with rose-shaped coral, the reef is one of the largest such discoveries at depths of more than 30 metres. Photograph: Alexis Rosenfeld/AP

A huge coral reef has been discovered off the coast of Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean’s “twilight zone”, offering hope that more pristine ecosystems are waiting to be discovered at unexplored depths.

Stretching along the ocean floor for nearly 2 miles, the reef, covered in rose-shaped corals, is one of the largest such discoveries at depths of more than 30 metres, where sunlight levels are much lower.