Michelle Taylor, director of marine biology at the University of Essex, is still buzzing about “one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life”.
In April, when her submersible crested the ridge of a submerged volcano 600 metres below the ocean surface in the Galápagos marine reserve, its powerful headlights revealed a previously undiscovered coral reef teaming with marine life.
“Having studied deep sea coral for almost two decades and never seeing any live in its natural habitat, I could see a wonderful ecosystem in all its 3D glory, with coral polyps feeding a foot away on the other side of a Plexiglas plate in the submersible Alvin,” Taylor said.