A massive 600-mile coral reef has been discovered below the murky waters of the Amazon river, astonishing scientists and government officials alike all of whom are now deep in exploration concerning its orgins.

The existence of the 3,600 square-mile system comes as a complete wonder to those in the know because many of the world's great rivers produce major gaps in reef systems. The system is reported to range from about 30-120m deep and stretch from French Guiana to Brazil's Maranhao.

No Prior Evidence System Existed

To date, there has been little evidence of such an existence, mainly because corals primarily thrive in clear, sunlit, salt water environments. The waters bordering the mouth of the Amazon are reported to be among the muddiest in the world.

But somehow, someway, early indications are the reef is thriving below the freshwater "plume" of the Amazon.

In a paper published in the Science Advances over the last several days, scientists insisted though the reef remains impoverished researchers have found over 60 species of sponges, 73 species of fish, spiny lobsters, stars and much other reef life.

"I was flabbergasted, as were the rest of the 30 oceanographers," co-author and University of Georgia oceanography professor Patricia Yager said of the discovery. "Traditionally, our understanding of reefs has focused on tropical shallow coral reefs which harbor biodiversity that rivals tropical rainforests."

As historical as the discovery appears, the survival of the entire system now appears uncertain. Reports are the Brazilian government has already sold 80 blocks for oil exploration and drilling near the site of the discovery and 20 of these are already producing oil, some of it perhaps on top of the reef itself.

Future of Reef Discovery Uncertain

"These [exploration] blocks will soon be producing oil in close proximity to the reefs, but the environmental baseline compiled by the companies and the Brazilian government is largely based on sparse museum specimens," the authors outlined in their report. "Such large-scale industrial activities present a major environmental challenge."

The Amazon River is the world's greatest river, collecting water from an area over 7m sq km.