Deep-water Coral Reefs: Unique Biodiversity Hot-SpotsDeep-water coral reefs are found along large sections of the outer continental shelves and slopes of Europe, from North Cape to the Gulf of Cadiz, and because they also occur along the Atlantic seaboard of USA, the Gulf of Mexico, off Brazil, in the Mediterranean, and off New Zealand, they are currently being targeted by international groups of marine scientists. They have become popular and opportune deep-water research targets because they offer exciting frontier exploration, combined with a whole plethora of modern scientific methods, such as deep-sea drilling, sampling, remote control surveying and documentation. Furthermore they represent timely opportunities for further developments within the application of geochemistry, stable isotope research, bacterial sciences, including DNA-sequestering, and medical research (search for bioactive compounds). The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) has arranged a deep-sea scientific drilling campaign on giant carbonate banks off Ireland. Because the reefs currently defy traditional marine-ecological theories, they represent future research opportunities and will enjoy scientific scrutiny for many years to come. |
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... occur on land are active on the oceanic seafloor . Therefore , underwater landscapes at depths beyond light penetration need our full imagination for their interpretation . Ever since I got responsibility for explaining seafloor ...
... occur at water depths between 39m and 450 m off Norway ( including inland fjord waters ) , but have been reported in ... occurring in the Porcupine Basin Slope , off Ireland . They are up to two kilometres in diameter and 300 m in height ...
... occur everywhere. They live in abundance, one over the other, and with colonies of the white or pink Lophelia pertusa coral standing out in stark contrast to the dark waters. Over the last 25 years, I have conducted and participated in ...
... occur as small pieces of calcium carbonate embedded in a horny substance that can be bent. When these corals die, their remains soon dissolve, in contrast to the skeletons of stony corals. Figure 2.2. Lophelia pertusa with extended ...
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Contents
Introduction | 13 |
1 | 39 |
5 | 80 |
6 | 89 |
5 | 103 |
3 | 129 |
6 | 140 |
7 | 163 |
5 | 186 |
13 | 198 |
9 | 202 |
Corals inside a pockmark Troll field | 208 |
An unintended extinction? | 210 |
Conclusions | 216 |
14 | 230 |
B Epilogue | 232 |