A coral reef with flourishing marine life has been found off Ecuador's Galapagos Islands.

A scientific expedition traced the 1.2-mile-long (2km) reef to the highest of an underwater mountain fashioned by volcanic exercise - 400m (1,300ft) deep.

Ecuador's surroundings minister, Jose Davalos, stated the exploration crew "found the first totally pristine coral reef... on the summit of a submarine mountain".

The beforehand unknown underwater colony comes as a shock to scientists, who believed just one reef existed within the volcanic archipelago - Wellington - alongside the coast of the tiny Darwin Island.

Reefs within the space had been severely degraded throughout El Nino climate in 1982-83 when the ocean floor warmed to devastating ranges.

However, the newly found reef survived the occasion and has greater than 50% dwelling coral.

Mr Davalos tweeted: "Galapagos surprises us again."

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Senior marine researcher on the Charles Darwin Foundation and expedition participant, Stuart Banks, stated: "This is very important at a global level because many deepwater systems are degraded."

He added the coral dated again a number of thousand years.

Ecuador expanded the Galapagos marine reserve by greater than 20,000 sq. miles final 12 months to guard endangered migratory species between the archipelago and Cocos Island in Costa Rica.

Many endangered animals dwell on the islands together with big tortoises, albatrosses and cormorants.

Content Source: information.sky.com