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 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 Forward> Last>>        1875 pages in total