Locations

Cold-water coral reefs


In this section we take a closer look at cold-water coral reefs around the world. They are amazingly colourful and form diverse habitats. As well as creating a home for many other species, cold-water coral reefs may also be important centres for speciation in the deep-sea. Click on the map below to visit some of the locations detailed in this section.

Mingulay Reef Complex Atlantic Canada Angola New Zealand Aleutian Islands Gulf of Mexico South Eastern USA Rockall Bank Reefs of Norway

Or visit our overarching pages on the Ocean Basins - the North Atlantic Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean (with more to come over 2019/2020).

Only in the last few decades have cold-water corals been studied in detail. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a few cold-water coral specimens were found by fishermen and early researchers. Due to technological limitations it was impossible to learn much more about them. In recent years, with the advent of manned submersibles and deep-sea remotely operated vehicles, our knowledge has increased significantly.

Navigate through this section to learn more about some of the pioneering research on cold-water corals, each section includes maps, images, videos and references to further information (follow the Go deeper links).

Click here to go deeper!