Rocky conglomerates provide the basis for the reefs on the outer continental shelf.

Rocky conglomerates provide the basis for the reefs on the outer continental shelf. This substrate provides the hard surface required of the hundreds of benthic invertebrate species that recruit to the rocks. Soft corals, sponges, bryozoans, and many other groups of invertebrates cover these rocks.

Related Links

Life on the Edge Exploration

Life on the Edge: Invertebrates

NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery