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Conserving cold-water corals

A large pink sea fan, which belongs to the genus Paragorgia, holds within its branches a thriving community of brittle stars, crabs, and shrimp. Deep coral ecosystems, which host extremely high biological diversity, are increasingly at risk due to human activities, such as deep-sea fish trawling, energy exploration and production.  Scientists from North America and Europe will meet today at WHOI to develop the first coherent plan for studying and conserving cold-water corals in the Atlantic Ocean. The plan will lay the foundations for an international research program beginning 2010.
(Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)