HARROW: Scientists say a reef discovered off the coast of Victoria rivals the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef.
A remote-controlled vehicle was sent to depths of 100 metres by Parks Victoria to explore deep sea life in Wilsons Promontory National Park and what they discovered blew them away.
The $120,000 vehicle found fish species not usually found in Victoria, such as the Jackass Morwong, Australian barracuda and longsnout boarfish.
Parks Victoria marine science manager Steffan Howe told the ABC the extent and abundance of spectacular sponge gardens and corals was a particularly exciting find and that discoveries exceeded scientists’ expectations.
Dr Howe said the reef habitats were teeming with life and home to abundant marine ecosystems comparable to Australia’s better-known tropical reef areas.
He said the discovery of coral reefs and fish species followed previous research mapping the park’s sea floor.
‘The maps identified some amazing underwater structures very deep beneath the ocean, but we did not know what sort of marine life was there,’ he said.
‘These latest expeditions used cutting-edge technology, including underwater video cameras and a robotic vehicle to record the spectacular marine life found in many of the deeper areas of the park for the first time.’
