It feels like we have only just started to read an archive that has been there for a very long time," he said.
He reflected on the personal optimism that drove the search despite years of grant rejections and technical delays.
"I was guided by hope.
A hope that sometimes there are species or ecosystems which kind of defeat time, or are trying to resist it," Zinzindohoué said.
He underscored the necessity of local scientific leadership in exploring domestic waters.
"Since it's an undisturbed marine ecosystem, it can help through carbon dating or paleoclimatic study to tell us which kind of climate system has occurred here in the past," he said.
"It's better to know the past to help explain the present, and help know which kind of direction we can take in the future."
Research team member Houangninan Midinoudewa highlighted the immediate significance of the findings for local coastal communities.
"I said, 'Bro, 60 years later we are now discovering exactly what we have in our water,'" said Midinoudewa, an oceanographic researcher at the Benin Marine Conservation Club.
"We found it still alive, producing more fish for communities and supporting livelihoods. I was really joyful and really overwhelmed."
Midinoudewa stated that conservationists plan to use the visual evidence to establish formal environmental protections.
"We will be advocating for its full protection, perhaps by setting up a marine protected area around it," he said.
He emphasized the urgent need for expanded regional marine studies across the Gulf of Guinea.
"I hope the Gulf of Guinea will be a hub for research because we know our resources are being exploited and people [need to] know exactly what we have and why we should care," Midinoudewa said.
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The research team plans to return to the site for physical coral sampling and diving operations to confirm specific species classifications and evaluate whether adjacent seabed formations support further living coral communities.
