New Deep Sea Corals and Sponge Banks Discovered Near San Francisco

November 7, 2012

In waters just a few miles from San Francisco, researchers have found never-before-seen habitats that are proving to be a melting pot for deep sea corals, sponges, rockfish, and other marine species.

Working aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel named Fulmar, a partnership of federal and independent scientists found a number of new habitats during a series of research cruises in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. The Sanctuary, found outside San Francisco’s Golden Gate, was declared in 1981 and is one of only 13 marine sanctuaries in the United States.

The recent expeditions explored depths reaching 457 meters within the Farallon Escarpment and two rocky-reef sites found within the sanctuary. Following the completion of the recent research cruises, participating scientists have reported that preliminary findings include the discovery of many species of sponges and corals along previously uncharted seafloor.

In a recently released report, NOAA stated, “at least 20 species of sponges and corals were observed during the research cruise. A black coral colony on Cochrane Bank [one of the rocky-reefs surveyed], estimated to be at least 100 years old, was the first such sighting within the sanctuary.”

The recent expedition is part of a larger three-year coordinated research effort, which falls under NOAA’s Deep-sea Coral Research and Technology Program. The three-year effort is focused on better understanding the location, distribution, status and health of deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems along the West Coast of the United States.

Reports suggest that human-induced disturbances such as oil spills, fishing activities, natural physical disturbance, climate change and ocean acidification are already threatening the deep-sea sponges and discovered on the latest expedition. The hope is that the recent set of research cruises, along with future expeditions, falling under the same three-year NOAA effort, will help researchers better understand the deep-sea habitats. Those involved in the multi-year research effort suggest that, a deeper understanding of these unique ecosystems and populations promise to help inform conservation and management actions going forward.

Click through the gallery below to see photographs that were taken by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during the recent expedition. Photos courtesy of NOAA.