During Dive 11 of the Gulf of Mexico 2018 expedition, scientists surveyed a previously unexplored site located between two areas that the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council was considering for the establishment of new habitat areas of particular concern. The most commonly observed animals on the seafloor portion of the dive were dead and alive Lophelia pertusa corals that supported a wide variety of marine life.
Much like shallow-water coral reefs, reefs in the deep sea, like those that are built by the stony coral Lophelia pertusa, host rich and diverse communities. These rich ecosystems contain many species that are grow slowly and live for a long time. Individual corals of Lophelia have been dated to be 1,000 years old, and some Lophelia reefs are estimated to be 40,000 years old. Understanding where these ecosystems are found has important implications for management and conservation.
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Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2018.