Scientists Find Clues to the Mysteries of an Ocean Reef
Beyond the tropical waters of the island nation of Palau lies the Ngaraard Pinnacle, a much rare kind of ref than its colorful coral cousin.
By: Sierra Garcia
Just beyond the colorful coral reefs and tropical waves of the island nation of Palau, a far rarer sort of reef juts up from the crushing blackness of the deep Pacific Ocean.
It’s called the Ngaraard Pinnacle. And unlike neighboring coral reefs, the environment of the narrow, shear ridge, which is surrounded by the deep on all sides and peaks 300 feet below the surface of the ocean, has long been a mystery. Until now, that is, thanks to a team of scientists led by Patrick Colin, who recently completed the first full look at what lives on Ngaraard Pinnacle, and “how this rare habitat—the first described in the Pacific—is able to support life.”
