Deep-sea corals flourish in the dark depths of the Gulf of Mexico.
Deep-sea Corals
Image courtesy of Lophelia II 2010 Expedition, NOAA-OER/BOEM. Download image (jpg, 155 KB).

Deep-sea corals flourish in the dark depths of the Gulf of Mexico, providing foundations that attract lush communities of other animals, including brittle stars, anemones, crabs, and fish. This diversity of life on the seafloor may be out of sight, but it is has been squarely on the minds of scientists seeking to determine the short- and long-term ecological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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