Until now, these depths were virtually unmapped. Through the UK government-funded MESOPHOS project, the Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab carried out the first exploration of what are known as mesophotic ecosystems at Akrotiri and Dhekelia, two areas of British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus.
These ecosystems sit 50 to 200 metres below the surface, where enough light penetrates for light-dependent organisms to survive but where it is too dim for more typical photosynthesis to occur. The term mesophotic literally means ‘middle light’.
