A gloriously diverse coral Witwatersrand is thrive on a World War Two wreck that lie at the bottom of the Red Sea , harbour a divers gang of brightly colored Pisces the Fishes , jumbo eels , and expose species . As explained by a new field of study , the shipwreck designate how artificial reef body structure may have the possibleness to help corals face the threat of the clime crisis .
With the help of data gather by “ citizen scientist ” who recreationally dive in the area , marine biologist at the University of Bologna in Italy looked at the wealth of biodiversity that inhabits the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm .
Their work reveal theshipwreckhad fostered a robust and healthy coral reef that was home to species representing over 70 group of plants and animals . These included gargantuan moray eel , Red Sea clownfish , squirrelfish , and humpback batfish .
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Another glimpse of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck. Image courtsey of Erik Caroselli (CC BY 2.0)
warm temperature cause by climate change has already put mammoth stress on the world ’s coral reef . If current trends continue , it ’s likely that we ’ll experience in a world without coral by theend of the century .
Although the skill is n’t settled yet , artificial reef structureslike this could possibly be a way to help red coral cope with the strain of warming water .
“ Wrecks , and particularly fully grown shipwreck , are one of the possible examples of hokey reef structures that are being studied as possible help for coral reef to cope with climate variety , ” Erik Caroselli , subject area author and associated professor at the University of Bologna , told IFLScience .
All aboard the SS Thistlegorm. Image courtsey of Erik Caroselli (CC BY 2.0)
“ One of the aspects is the potential use of artificial reefs to help precious coral reefs mintage to shift to cooler waters as ocean temperatures increase due to spheric warming . In some areas , this may be difficult because the sandy bottom act as as a barrier for operose bottom species ( eg . red coral , who must determine on hard substratum ) . So it has been propose that hard artificial social system ( e.g. wreck ) may act as ' bridge ' of hard bottom and allow these communities to pass over these arenaceous barrier , ” he explain .
“ Our study did not answer the question , but provided an indication that in this particular shipwreck , a relatively stable coral reef community is actually present , ” continued Caroselli .
As for the shipwreck , the SS Thistlegorm was a 126 - meter ( 415 - foot ) foresighted British cargo steamer that was hit by German bomber aircraft in the Red Sea in 1941 during the Second World War . The ship quickly sank to the seabed , killing nine of the 42 hands aboard .
While its death was a tragic release , it looks like the ship ’s reeking afterlife has make out to cultivate some incredible new possibilities .
“ Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck in 1955 , and since the nineties it has become a democratic dive situation . The biodiversity we analyze in the study is the resultant role of about 70 years of natural colonization of the wreck by being from nearby coral reefs , ” allege Caroselli .
“ Of course , since aggregated diving event touristry was attracted by the wreck , this recolonization also had to cope with the impact from tourism , ” he append .
The study is publish inPLOS ONE .
