The first images of a newly discovered coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon river have emerged. Greenpeace has released images of the 600-mile long coral reef that were taken from a submarine off their ship the Esperanza. The 220-meter deep reef stretches from French Guiana to Brazil’s Maranhão state and was discovered in the spring of last year. Normally reef systems are absent from the mouths of major rivers. The unique ecosystem is threatened by three oil companies that have been granted exploration rights in the area.

The Brazilian government will still have to grant drilling permits, but the threat of oil drilling in the area still remains.

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