Story perspectives

Living Deep Reef Discovered Off Benin’s Gulf

8/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Oceanographer Gérard Zinzindohoué confirmed a living mesophotic reef off Benin’s Gulf of Guinea.
From April to December 2025 his team mapped two hard-bottom patches covering 7 km.
ROV footage recorded soft octocorals, black corals and eight fish species, including golden African snapper.
Budget limits confined the survey to one site and prevented coral sampling, leaving IDs provisional.
The findings were published in Frontiers in Marine Science urging West African marine research.

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Story summary

Oceanographer Gérard Zinzindohoué confirmed a living mesophotic reef off Benin’s Gulf of Guinea.
From April to December 2025 his team mapped two hard-bottom patches covering 7 km.
ROV footage recorded soft octocorals, black corals and eight fish species, including golden African snapper.
Budget limits confined the survey to one site and prevented coral sampling, leaving IDs provisional.
The findings were published in Frontiers in Marine Science urging West African marine research.