Deep-Sea Corals
Coral reefs are spectacular, diverse ecosystems that are home to thousands of different species. While less well-known than tropical coral reefs, the majority of coral species actually grow in the dark, cold waters of the deep sea.
These corals, referred to as ‘deep-sea’ or ‘cold-water’ corals, from complex skeletal structures that provide shelter for vast numbers of associated fish and invertebrates in the otherwise sparsely populated deep sea. Deep-sea coral reefs can take tens of thousands of years to grow, and many deep-sea corals can live for centuries. The longevity and slow growth rate of these corals make these vital habitats extremely slow to recover from disturbance.
Despite their remoteness, deep-sea corals are already incurring significant damage from human activities. For example, bottom trawl fisheries often target deep reefs because they are the preferred habitat for a large number of commercially valuable species. Deep-sea corals’ skeletons are fragile and therefore highly vulnerable to physical damage from bottom trawl fishing gear. Like many other marine organisms, deep-sea corals are also sensitive to pollution, sedimentation, and the effects of climate change. Unfortunately, restoring damaged deep-sea environments is not feasible, making preemptive conservation activities critical for preserving these vulnerable and ecologically vital habitats. If destroyed, most deep-sea coral habitats will not recover within our lifetime.
Marine Conservation Institute is committed to protecting deep-sea coral ecosystems around the world. We conduct field research and modeling analyses to provide a scientific rationale for the improved protection of deep-sea coral habitats. In addition, we advocate for the end or mitigation of destructive fishing practices, climate change, and other human disturbances to these fragile ecosystems.
Recent Reports and Articles on Deep Sea Corals
Magnetic Signatures & Singing Stages: the mysterious connection between whales, sharks, and seamounts
By Morgane Bouvet, Seamounts Intern Many of our blogs are now available for listening! Tune in weekly for the audio experience. On the bottom of the deep ocean lie seamounts, massive underwater volcanoes that are largely unexplored, and generally absent…
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Call of the Deep: Exploring the Wonderful, Wacky Deep Sea
Featured Picture: Staff scientist Samuel Georgian takes a turn piloting the ROV Beagle (Marine Applied Research and Exploration) during an expedition off the coast of California. The Last Frontier “There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea,…
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If not now, when? Conserving Seamounts on a Global Scale
Seamounts are massive underwater volcanoes that occur across the planet. They attract and support large numbers of animals including fish, sharks, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals at the surface and shelter an incredible array of deep-sea life, including cold-water corals and sponges that build crucial structures, or ‘homes’, for large amounts of marine life on the bottom. These habitats are the ‘old-growth forests’ of the ocean – they are long-lived, slow growing, and extremely slow to recover following disturbance from activities like bottom trawling or seabed mining. Of the 10,000 plus seamounts known to exist, only around 10% are protected from some type of destruction. Marine Conservation Institute has a campaign to protect the 60 seamounts off the coast of California and is working with partners to protect many more around the world.
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