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| | | Deep-Sea Corals |
Maintained by NOAA
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| | Deep-Sea Coral Ecology | | | | Deep-sea corals are members of the Class of animals called Anthozoa, which among other creatures, includes sea anemones, stony corals, soft corals and sea pens. Deep-sea corals inhabit the colder deep waters of our continental shelves and offshore canyons in waters ranging from 50-1000 m depths. Where current and substrate conditions are suitable, these corals form thickets or groves of high complexity. Similar to the ancient redwood and sequoia trees, these animals are slow growing and can reach hundreds of years in age. Similar to tropical rainforests, they also provide habitat for many other animals. Deep-sea corals may provide historical clues to climate change and may also be the source of new drugs from the sea. | | |  This healthy branch of Lophelia coral was sampled from deep ocean reefs off the coast of South Carolina. Unlike tropical species of coral, Lophelia possesses no symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae). (Image courtesy of NOAA) | | | | |
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| NOAA Establishes Eight Marine Protected Areas to Provide Safe Havens for Deep-Water Fish
NOAA Media Release 13 January 2009 |  |
| | NOAA has established eight separate marine protected areas encompassing a total of 529 square nautical miles in south Atlantic federal waters to shield deep-water fish species and their habitats from fishing. All fishing for snappers, groupers, tilefishes, grunts, porgies, and sea basses is prohibited throughout the protected areas, which are located off the coast from North Carolina south to Florida. | |
Read more at http://www.noaanews.noaa ... mpas.html.
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