Gérard Zinzindohoué

“Historical reports suggest that this could be a continuous coral reef barrier extending roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) parallel to the coast. We only surveyed a small section of this area, and we had a limited number of visual transects. If I had all the grant money in the world, the first thing I would do is return to the site with a proper scientific diving and sampling program. These are ecosystems that are still poorly known in this part of the world, and every additional piece of information matters.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué said historical reports suggest a possible continuous reef barrier and expressed a desire to return with a full scientific diving and sampling program.

“For me, the most exciting part is understanding the reef's history and what it can tell us about how the ocean in this region has changed over time. It feels like we have only just started to read an archive that has been there for a very long time.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué said understanding the reef's history could reveal how the regional ocean has changed over time.

“Next, we surveyed the structures with an underwater drone and the Deep Sea Camera System. That was a big moment for us, because suddenly we could actually see the seafloor. I still remember seeing those first images. It was a mix of excitement and disbelief, because after all this time thinking about this reef, suddenly there was something real in front of us.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué described the moment the team first saw the seafloor using an underwater drone and the Deep Sea Camera System.

“This is still an initial exploration,”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué characterized the work as an initial exploration of the reef area.

“It was a mix of long days at sea, technical problems and a lot of uncertainty. But then we saw structures on the sonar that looked like they could be reef signatures, which gave us hope that we were close.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué recounted how sonar signatures gave the team hope of finding the reef.

“However, I think what we found is probably not an exception. It is more likely a reflection of how little we still know about coastal regions in West Africa and elsewhere. If we were able to find this reef again after 60 years, how many others are still undocumented or simply forgotten? So yes, I do believe there are likely more coral systems out there that we have not documented yet. But we should not assume they are everywhere. Each discovery needs to be confirmed. Without going back into the field, we are really just guessing.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué suggested there are likely more undocumented coral systems off West Africa but cautioned each discovery needs confirmation.

“A mesophotic coral ecosystem lives deeper than the usual shallow coral reefs, in zones where light is much more limited,”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué explained what a mesophotic coral ecosystem is and how it differs from shallow reefs.

“To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed record of a living mesophotic coral ecosystem on the Gulf of Guinea continental shelf,”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué stated this is the first confirmed record of a living mesophotic coral ecosystem on the Gulf of Guinea continental shelf.

“It was not an easy field campaign,”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué described the difficulties of the field campaign that ultimately located the living reef.

“Unlike typical shallow reefs, it does not always form a single continuous reef structure. Instead, it can appear as patchy or scattered coral communities spread across the seafloor.”

Gérard Zinzindohoué · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-20

Zinzindohoué noted that mesophotic coral ecosystems can appear as patchy or scattered coral communities rather than a single continuous reef structure.