In addition to being beautiful and fascinating in and of themselves, deep-sea corals provide numerous benefits to a multitude of species—including humans. In the ocean’s vast expanse, deep-sea corals provide a precious commodity—habitats for marine life. Invertebrates like worms, starfish, and lobsters as well as vertebrates like fishes and marine mammals depend on deep-sea corals. The corals offer food, places to hide from predators, nurseries for juveniles, and a solid surface where invertebrates can take hold.
Among the diverse species that depend on deep-sea corals are ones that are commercially important to humans—including shrimp, crabs, groupers, rockfish, and snappers. Off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, 85 percent of commercially important fish species are associated with deep-sea coral habitats.
A Cure for What Ails You?
Some organisms that live in deep-sea coral habitats produce chemicals that have enormous potential for use as new medicines. For example, scientists recently discovered that two sponges that grow in deep-sea coral ecosystems have compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. A compound from another deep-water sponge, Discodermia dissolute, displays potent anti-tumor activity against human lung and breast cancer cells. And who knows what other potential lifesaving compounds lie within coral reefs deep below the ocean’s surface?
Underwater Time Capsules
Because deep-sea corals are found worldwide and live for so long, their skeletons provide important clues to the history of Earth’s climate. As deep-sea corals grow, they form layers, or bands—similar to tree rings. The chemical composition of the bands reflects the changing ocean conditions under which the corals formed. By measuring and examining the thickness of each band, marine scientists can estimate how much the corals grew during a given time period. This information sheds light on what ocean conditions existed during that period. By conducting more complex analyses of deep-sea corals, ocean scientists can gather valuable information about changes in water temperature, nutrients, and sea level over time.
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Meet Ocean Explorer Martha Nizinski
Title: Zoologist at NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service
Specialty: Biodiversity and community structure of invertebrate fauna associated with deep-sea coral reefs
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