New Deep Sea Coral Discovered
The new species of bamboo coral. Credit: NOAA, WHOI, the Alvin Group, 2004 GOA Expedition
Congratulations to Peter Etnoyer from Deep Sea News, who revealed an exciting deep-sea discovery today. Etnoyer and his colleagues found a beautiful new species of coral, known as Isidella, off the coast of the Pacific Northwest at depths of 2,300 to 3,300 feet. The fanlike "bamboo corals" grow to heights in excess of 3 feet (1 meter).
In his post today, Etnoyer writes:
"This is only one of a dozen remarkable discoveries. Most of the seamount peaks we surveyed were dwarven forests full of corals, sponges, crabs, and fish. Isidella was among the largest and most conspicuous benthic megafauna. The fact that this bamboo coral is relatively common, but new to science, tells you how little we know about the deep sea."
Check out the full post for more details as well as an exclusive underwater video of the corals -- complete with dramatic piano music.
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