Deep-Water Coral

ocean · deep sea · coral · extreme habitat

Lives in darkness. Deep-water corals grow in parts of the ocean so deep and dark that sunlight never reaches them, sometimes living more than 2,000 metres below the surface where water is nearly as cold as a freezer.

Cold-water champions. Unlike tropical corals that need warm sunshine, deep-water corals have adapted to survive in freezing temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius, making them true explorers of the extreme deep.

Creates underwater homes. Even without sunlight, deep-water corals build structures that give shelter and food to thousands of other strange sea creatures that live in the dark abyss.

Many different types. Deep-water corals include stony corals, soft corals called Gorgonians, and even black and thorny varieties, all adapted perfectly for life in the deep.