Pristine coral reefs discovered near Galápagos Islands are thousands of years old and teeming with life

Corals, crustaceans, urchins, anemones on Cacho De Coral, a newly discovered pristine coral reef in the Galápagos Marine Reserve. (Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute)

Ocean explorers have discovered two pristine, deep-sea coral reefs near the Galápagos Islands and put two uncharted seamounts off the coast of Ecuador on the map.

The larger of the two cold-water reefs is over 2,600 feet (800 meters) long, according to a statement. Both reefs sit 1,000 feet (300 m) beneath the ocean surface in the Galápagos Marine Reserve and boast a rich diversity of stony coral species that have thrived there for thousands of years.