Ancient Reef ‘Hidden in Plain View’ Discovered in Australian Desert

Corals fertilize billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the Queensland state coastal city of Cairns, Australia, on Nov. 23, 2021. Gabriel Guzman/Calypso Productions via AP

An ancient landform resembling a reef that was “hidden” in plain view was discovered on the Nullarbor Plain, located along the Great Australian Bight coast in South Australia, by Curtin University researchers.

Research author Milo Barham, from Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Science, said the remnants of the original sea-bed structure were discovered through new high-resolution satellite imagery and field work.