FIRST PICTURES OF AMAZON REEF

Massive, unique, and only discovered in 2016, the Amazon Reef is already under threat as the Brazilian government has opened the area to oil exploration.

The reef is located at the mouth of the Amazon River basin – an unlikely place for a reef given the sediment filled, low visibility water. Yet, it stretches for 9,500 square kilometres from French Guiana to Maranhão

State in northern Brazil and is thriving in conditions found nowhere else on the planet.

Sediment and nutrients flowing from the Amazon mean that the water is turbid, and yet somehow this diverse ecosystem of corals, sponges and rhodoliths is flourishing.

Greenpeace has launched a campaign to protect the unique Amazon Reef, and took a team out to document it. Photos of the Amazon Reef were taken by the crew of a submarine launched from the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza. It is hoped that the expedition will generate more support for the protection of the Amazon Reef. Sign the petition now to help prevent drilling at this precious site.