A previously undiscovered, vast, and ancient coral reef has been discovered in the center of the Dohrn Canyon in the Gulf of Naples, more than 500 meters below sea level. Explorations by a remotely operated submarine revealed the presence of massive structures over two meters wide, distributed along a vertical wall of more than 80 meters, formed by deep-sea hard corals commonly known as “white corals” due to their lack of color. "This is an extraordinary discovery for the Italian seas: bioconstructions of this species on this scale have never been observed in the Dohrn Canyon, and rarely elsewhere in our Mediterranean", comments Giorgio Castellan, campaign leader and researcher at the National Research Council (CNR) in Bologna. "Their discovery is a critical step in the process of comprehending the ecological function of deep-sea coral habitats and their distribution, particularly in the context of restoration and protection initiatives." In addition to white corals, the reef hosts a community unique for its richness and biodiversity: black corals, solitary corals, sponges, and other species of great ecological importance. But that is not all. The canyon walls also preserve fossilized traces of old oysters and corals, providing actual geological evidence of a distant past.