Deepwater and shallow water coral reef communities are rich in
diversity and provide habitat for many species. Shallow water
coral reef systems have been well-studied partly due to their
accessibility. Deepwater corals and associated habitats can only
be studied with technologically advanced methods such as manned
submersibles, remote operated vehicles (ROV) and autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUV). Only a small percentage of deepwater
reefs have been described. Photo credit: S. Ross et al., UNCW
Unlike reef-building tropical corals, deepwater corals are found
beyond the reach of sunlight and are adapted to the dark
environment. As opposed to shallow water corals, deepwater coral
polyps do not contain the symbiotic algae that provide their
tropical cousins with energy via photosynthesis. Instead,
deepwater corals rely on catching passing food in the water
column. As a result, deepwater corals grow very slowly, from
less than one centimeter to up to two centimeters per year.
Deepwater coral colonies tend to be