Mysterious, deep Hawaiian coral 'twilight zone' is home of unique species

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New Delhi: The bright blue waters of Hawaiian coral reefs are home of large number of algea meadows that supports some of the unique and rare species found nowhere else on the Earth's sea.

About hundreds of feet below the ocean surface, called the twilight zone, scientists have explored a rich and diversified deep sea ecosystem that are not found on shallow reefs. For the research, the entire 2,590km Hawaiian archipelago was covered over two decades using a combination of submersibles, remote-operated vehicles, drop cameras, data recorders and advanced diving techniques, according to The Guardian.

The main aim of the research is to was to study the extensive areas of 100% coral cover at depths of 90m (300 feet) or more off the islands of Maui and Kauai.

The study, published in the journal PeerJ, reveals that scientists have identified more than 70 species of macroalgae in extensive meadows that support unique communities of fish and invertebrates.

The 16 member research team also discovered that more than 50% of the species living in this twilight zone are endemic to the Hawaiian islands.