Researchers investigating the remote waters of Kawésqar National Marine Reserve in Chile have made a remarkable discovery that offers new insights into Patagonia’s little-understood marine ecosystems.
They found colonies of red hydrocorals (Errina Antarctica), a species of slow-growing coral that is extremely sensitive to environmental impacts.
It's the first time these hydrocorals have been documented this far south or at such shallow depths. In high concentrations, the corals form Marine Animal Forests (MAFs), rare ecosystems of exceptional ecological value found on only 0.1% of the world's seabeds.
The scientific report, "The southernmost Errina Antarctica hydrocoral savannah in Patagonian waters," was published in the journal Nature.
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"The structural complexity generated by MAFs on the seabed is used by numerous species to settle and live, hide, feed or reproduce, so they are also true hotspots of biodiversity," says Ana De la Torriente, co-author of the study and researcher at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.
The team documented numerous species among the corals, including sea urchins, basket and sticky ray stars, hermit crabs, sea anemones, false king crabs, sea snails, parchment worms and sponges.
For this reason, red corals are considered 'ecosystem engineers' and they are vital to the development of the seabed.
The colonies of Errina Antarctica documented in the Kawésqar National Marine Reserve cover up to 28.5% of the seafloor, at depths between 1.23 to 33 metres (and deeper), but they have no protection. Industrial salmon farming, climate change and pollution all threaten their survival, explains Ingrid Espinoza, Conservation Director of Rewilding Chile and co-author of the research.
Currently, 57 salmon aquaculture licenses are granted within the national reserve, and a further 132 new concessions are pending. If the later licences are granted, the consequences would be catastrophic for biodiversity, says Espinoz.
"The results of this study clearly demonstrate the presence of singular and unique ecosystems in the area. We need to implement management plans and strict protections to ensure their long-term survival."
Dive in: red hydrocorals in pictures
Find out more about the study: The southernmost Errina Antarctica hydrocoral savannah in Patagonian waters, published in the journal Nature.
