Off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea and separated from the coast by a channel 100 miles wide in places and over 200 feet deep, the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system. It was named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997 and is a popular tourist destination. Places like this at times seem so surreal, but it’s perhaps even harder to believe that there’s a coral reef off our coast, a truly hidden natural wonder in South Carolina.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth, stretching almost 1,430 miles long. Views from above are stunning.

Its waters are generally crystal-clear, with submarine features clearly visible at depths of 100 feet. Overall depths of the Reef range from about 16 feet to as deep as over 6,500 feet at the outer reefs. As a shallow water reef, it is very different from the reef discovered off the coast of South Carolina in much deeper parts of the ocean.

In August of 2018, about 160 miles off the coast of Charleston, scientists discovered a vast coral reef deep within the Atlantic Ocean, about half a mile below the ocean's surface. Prior to this discovery, the only reefs in South Carolina were artificial, man-made reefs, and there are 45 of those.

This discovery happened unexpectedly during an eight-hour research initiative, called Deep Dive. A team of researchers were studying deep-sea ridges and mounds discovered by divers earlier that summer.

The scientists were aboard the deep-diving research submarine called Alvin, which is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The dominant species of coral that was discovered at this reef, Lophelia pertusa, has been long-known to exist in shallower water off the U.S. coast from Florida to North Carolina. The existence of this whitish "stony" coral in deep water farther from shore was an exciting discovery, as it suggests that these coral habitats may be linked to one another and thus may be more resilient than previously thought to rising water temperatures and other environmental changes believed to be threatening to coral around the world.

Amazingly, this coral does not need light to survive. Prior to this discovery, the largest deep water reef known was in Norway, 22 miles long. This reef is 85 miles long!

This white coral on the Great Barrier Reef got its color during a mass bleaching event, which happens when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, and they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues. Bleached coral is not dead but is at greater risk of starvation and disease. It is possible for them to recover from bleaching over time, but only when stressors are reduced, such as if temperatures drop and conditions return to normal.

There are 400 types of coral in the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest collection.

The reef discovered off South Carolina's coast appears healthy for now and is home to large numbers of fish, including a swordfish that was seen swimming over the reef.

It's a shame this reef is so deep in the ocean that we're unable to see and enjoy it; however, this was an important and exciting discovery that scientists believe could lead to more discoveries of coral reefs in other parts of the Atlantic.

The first examples of deep-sea corals were actually discovered by fishermen about 250 years ago. Before we had submersible vehicles, little was known about this habitat, but advances in technology in recent years have provided opportunities for much more research of deeper sea corals, which helps us increase our understanding of them and how to better protect them.

Deep-sea corals are similar in some ways to those found in shallow reefs but also have major differences that are important for us to study and better understand. Some key differences are that we do not typically find different corals growing together and even on top of one another like in the shallow reefs, and they are much slower to grow.

An interesting similarity is that some of the deep sea corals are just as colorful as the shallow reef corals.

Learn more about some of the fascinating things we are finding through recent studies of these unique ecosystems:

Have you ever stumbled onto a hidden natural wonder in South Carolina? There are so many interesting places throughout our state! If you have, submit it through our attraction nomination form. We’d love to check it out, too.