In September 2014, NOAA Fisheries published a federal register notice that listed seven coral species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Council is collaborating with NOAA to host and maintain the ESA corals database in our coral portal. If you want to know where the corals are in the Gulf Of Mexico, check… Continue Reading ESA Coral Explorer
While corals have been resilient to changing oceans throughout time, oceans are changing at an unprecedented rate. Slow-growing corals may not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive so much variablity. This storyboard discusses factors that threated the health of our coral reefs. Launch site
Deep-water corals are some of the strangest habitats on earth. These corals live at depths of 1000 feet or more where sunlight doesn’t penetrate and where water temperatures can be near freezing. Traditional coral reefs are mostly made up of stony corals, but in the deep ocean, octocorals, black corals and stony corals all thrive.… Continue Reading Deep-water Coral in the Gulf of Mexico
Orange sea fans (Swiftia exserta) or red polyp octocoral are a type of gorgonians that belong to the group of non-photosynthetic cnidarian species. These sea fans occur throughout the west Atlantic in fairly deep (e.g., 60 to 1600 feet) and nutrient-rich waters along coastal areas with moderate currents. Colonies are fan-shaped with orange to red stem… Continue Reading Orange Sea Fans of the Deep
Understanding what corals need to survive is crucial to protect and conserve them, particularly in this time of changing climate. Improved knowledge of coral life histories, vulnerabilities, and threats aids managers. Additionally, such information can help the Council provide feedback when asked to weigh in on research recommendations for areas, species, or fisheries. New information… Continue Reading Threatened Corals in the Gulf of Mexico
