While exploring at a site informally called 'Te Kawhiti' on the northern edge of the Manihiki Plateau as part of the Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin expedition, scientists encountered a deep-sea coral forest. The hard seafloor at the site provided an ideal surface on which corals could grow and provide habitat for a range of animals, much like trees do in a forest on land.
During exploration of the shallowest part of the ridge feature, scientists observed this dense bamboo coral forest, comprised of at least many hundreds, if not thousands, of colonies. Several broken branches and dead coral colonies were seen scattered in areas of live colonies. Most live colonies had crinoids perched on branches, and on several occasions, scientists encountered upright colonies stripped of coral tissue completely covered in crinoids. Other associates seen with the coral included overgrowing zoanthids, brittle stars, and gooseneck barnacles.
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Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin.