Lophelia pertusa is a cold-water coral that grows in the deep waters throughout the North Atlantic ocean, as well as parts of the Caribbean Sea and Alboran Sea. Although their reefs are home to a diverse community, the species is extremely slow growing and may be harmed by destructive fishing practices, or oil exploration and extraction. They does not contain zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae which lives inside most tropical reef building corals. Lophelia lives at a temperature range from about 4–12 °C and at depths between 80 metres and over 3,000 metres, but most commonly at depths of 200–1,000 metres, where there is no sunlight.

<< First 1297 1298 1299 1300 1301 1302 1303 1304 1305 1306 Forward> Last>>        1875 pages in total