In August 2018, during the DEEP SEARCH 2018: DEEP Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral/Canyon/Cold seep Habitats expedition, while exploring approximately 160 miles off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, the expedition team observed extensive reefs composed of the deep-sea stony coral, Lophelia pertusa.
In May and June 2018, multibeam mapping data collected by NOAA Ocean Exploration via NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer revealed mound and ridge features on the seafloor in the same region. With the visual observations made by the DEEP SEARCH 2018 team, scientists felt it was highly probable that these features were formed by corals. When the lengths of all the mound and ridge features mapped in the region are combined, the DEEP SEARCH team estimates that there’s approximately 85 linear miles of discontinuous Lophelia reef here.
Scientists weren’t expecting this find, but it opened the possibilities for where Lophelia could be forming reefs. While Lophelia reefs were known to occur off the coasts of Florida to North Carolina at depths averaging 350-600 meters (1,150-1,970 feet), the presence of these reefs at deeper depths (greater than 700 meters/2,297 feet) and farther offshore made these newly discovered reefs unique, potentially connecting deep-sea coral habitats from the south to the north.
This video features a conversation among Erik Cordes, Cheryl Morrison, Sandra Brooke, and Jason Chaytor on board Research Vessel Atlantis about the significance of the discovery.
Download SD version (mp4, 73.0 MB).
Download HD version (mp4, 178.0 MB).
Video created by Ivan Hurzeler.
Dive Three: Exciting Finds on Our First Coral Dive!
The Significance of Finding a Previously Undetected Coral Reef
Mission Summary: What We Have Learned from DEEP SEARCH Expedition AT-41