The Bahamas has some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world, and a lot of that wonder is thanks to the Sahara Desert.
The Bahamas has some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world, and a lot of that wonder is thanks to the Sahara Desert.
For years, scientists have been mystified how it is that such lush and diverse seascape could exist in the nutrient-poor waters that surround the Caribbean nation.
Recent research suggests that the underwater environment was built upon African, not Bahamian, sands.
Each year, giant sandstorms transport tons of the Sahara’s mineral-rich dust over the Atlantic and onto land from the Southwestern United States to the Amazon rainforest.
Over the eons, it likely was blown into the waters and built up, forming a base capable of supporting the complex ecosystem existing in the reef.
It also provided the carbonate necessary for the coral to form its skeletons.
To support their theories, scientists gathered over 250 samples from the Great Bahama Bank’s seafloor.
They analyzed them, and found manganese and iron, which are also present in the trans-Atlantic dust clouds.
Further examination found the concentrations of both elements to be a close match to the dust commonly found in the Sahara Desert.
