Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Cordes EE, Demopoulos AWJ, Davies AJ, Gasbarro R, Rhoads AC, Lobecker E, Sowers D, Chaytor JD, Morrison CL, Weinnig AM, Brooke S, Lunden JJ, Mienis F, Joye SB, Quattrini AM, Sutton TT, McFadden CS, Bourque JR, McClain-Counts JP, Andrews BD, Betters MJ, Etnoyer PJ, Wolff GA, Bernard BB, Brooks JM, Rasser MK, Adams C
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau off the U.S. east coast, an area of intense human activity including fisheries and naval operations, and potentially energy and mineral extraction. At one site, CWC mounds are arranged in lines that total over 150 km in length, making this one of the largest reef complexes discovered in the deep ocean. This site experiences rapid and extreme shifts in temperature between 4.3 and 10.7 °C, and currents approaching 1 m s−1. Carbon is transported to depth by mesopelagic micronekton and nutrient cycling on the reef results in some of the highest nitrate concentrations recorded in the region. Predictive models reveal expanded areas of highly suitable habitat that currently remain unexplored. Multidisciplinary exploration of this new site has expanded understanding of the cold-water coral niche, improved our accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat, and emphasizes the importance of properly managing these systems.
Request PDF
| To request a PDF copy of this paper, please enter your email address below: Your email address is not stored, it is only used to send an email with an attached PDF to you. |
Full Citation
Cordes EE, Demopoulos AWJ, Davies AJ, Gasbarro R, Rhoads AC, Lobecker E, Sowers D, Chaytor JD, Morrison CL, Weinnig AM, Brooke S, Lunden JJ, Mienis F, Joye SB, Quattrini AM, Sutton TT, McFadden CS, Bourque JR, McClain-Counts JP, Andrews BD, Betters MJ, Etnoyer PJ, Wolff GA, Bernard BB, Brooks JM, Rasser MK, Adams C (2023) Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat. Sci Rep-UK 13: 19482