Deep in the ocean’s mysterious “twilight zone” off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, scientists aboard the research vessel Angra Pequena have made an extraordinary discovery that’s only the second of its kind ever found in South African waters. What looks like a field of scattered pink stones on the seafloor is actually a rare rhodolith bed, an expansive colony of pebble-like red algae that serves as one of nature’s most important underwater nurseries. These remarkable formations create safe havens for young fish and invertebrates, help stabilize the ocean floor, and provide the essential hard surfaces that allow kelp forests to take root and flourish.
The newly discovered bed stretches alongside a magnificent 35-kilometer golden kelp forest, forming an intricate underwater partnership that supports carbon storage and serves as crucial breeding grounds for commercially valuable fish species. What makes this find even more precious is how slowly these ecosystems develop, rhodolith beds can take centuries to recover from damage, making them living treasures that have been quietly growing in the depths for generations. The discovery reminds us that South Africa’s oceans still hold countless secrets in their mesophotic habitats, which are essential biodiversity reservoirs playing key roles in climate resilience. As researchers continue exploring these hidden pockets of marine life, each new find reinforces how much we still have to learn about the incredible world beneath the waves.