Fact Sheet. There may be just as many varieties of deep-sea corals as shallow-water corals. Scientists have discovered over 3,000 species to date! Colonies of deep-sea corals can form a variety of different shapes, including fans, mounds, spirals, or ribbon-like, or branching structures, depending on the species. Some coral species can be expected to occur at certain ocean depths. In fact, depth is among the best predictors of coral species occurrence.

Click the links on the right to view the full version of this Fact Sheet and learn more about the diversity of deep-sea corals, where they’re found, why they’re important, and current threats to these deep-water ecosystems.

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