The cold-water coral, deep-sea coral and deep-water coral resource

The cold-water coral, deep-sea coral and deep-water coral resource

The deep

The deep sea is less explored than the surface of the moon. Infinitely mysterious, inhospitable yet somehow still teeming with life we’re only just beginning to understand, exploration and documentation of the Abyss is one of the most prodigious and exciting scientific challenges of the twenty-first century.

In this section we take you on a voyage of discovery, from the submarine capsules that allow us to explore the deep to the seamounts and deceptively barren-seeming landscapes inhabited by deep-sea corals. Let’s go!

Within each section of ‘The deep sea’ we have highlighted some of the scientific literature available. Here, we collate this information into an easy to find section and include others. The references have been sorted into several broad descriptive categories. Mapping contains papers centred on discovering reefs using acoustic methods. Imaging contains publications about using photographic techniques to capture images of the seabed. Biology contains some notable publications about the biology of the deep-sea.

General deep-sea literature

  • The classical deep-sea biology textbook “Deep-sea biology: A natural history of organisms at the deep-sea floor” by Gage and Tyler offers in depth information on all aspects of deep-sea biology

Mapping

  • Hovland M, Vasshus S, Indreeide A, Austdal L, Nilsen Ø (2002) Mapping and imaging deep-sea coral reefs off Norway, 1982-2000. Hydrobiologia 471: 13-17
  • Huvenne VAI, De Mol B, Henriet JP (2003) A 3D seismic study of the morphology and spatial distribution of buried coral banks in the Porcupine Basin, SW of Ireland. Marine Geology 198: 5-25

Imaging

  • Howe JA, Humphery JD (1995) Photographic evidence for slope-current activity, Hebrides Slope, NE Atlantic Ocean. Scottish Journal of Geology 30:107-115
  • Mortensen PB, Roberts JM , Sundt RC (2000) Video-assisted grabbing: a minimally destructive method of sampling azooxanthellate coral banks. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 80:365-366
  • Pilgrim D, Parry D, Jones M, Kendall M (2000) ROV image scaling with laser spot patterns. Journal of the Society for Underwater Technology 24(3):93-103
  • Priede IG (2000) Deep Ocean Landers:Sea Floor Autonomous Research Stations. Man-Made Objects on the Seafloor. The Society for Underwater Technology, London: 13-31
  • Roberts JM, Harvey SM, Lamont PA, Gage JD, Humphery JD (2000) Seabed photography, environmental assessment and evidence for deep-water trawling on the continental margin west of the Hebrides. Hydrobiologia 441: 173-183