Tropical coral reefs host a multitude of organisms in warm, shallow seas ablaze with colour. Yet few people are aware of cold water coral reefs and the vast species diversity they host in cold, dark temperate oceans. These cold-water coral reefs contain more coral species than tropical coral reefs and provide a complex structural environment for other species to live in and on.

SAMS researchers began studying cold-water corals in 1997 and were the first to discover live corals colonising North Sea oil platforms.

Tracing back through historical records, and by using state-of-the-art technology developed for deep-sea exploration, SAMS scientists discovered the only inshore cold-water coral reef in UK waters in 2003.

Since then the coral group led by Dr J Murray Roberts has focussed on Lophelia coral habitats, the high biodiversity they support and the threats they face.

SAMS scientists have studied cold-water corals from northern Norway to the Gulf of Mexico and Dr Roberts currently co-ordinates the TRACES programme to develop trans-Atlantic research on cold-water corals between European and North American researchers.

"More knowledge of these amazing animals is a really important prerequisite for their effective conservation, which is a major motivator behind much of my research" said Dr Roberts.

Dr Roberts is co-author of a new book: 

Cold-water Corals: The Biology and Geology of Deep-Sea Coral Habitats, which includes beautiful images, chapters on research history, research methodologies, palaeoclimatic proxies, and different cold-water coral habitats.

The book is published by Cambridge University Press.

For more information on cold-water corals, please visit www.lophelia.org

Publisher's note

There are more coral species in deep, cold-waters than in tropical coral reefs. This broad-ranging treatment is the first to synthesise current understanding of all types of cold-water coral, covering their ecology, biology, palaeontology and geology. Beginning with a history of research in the field, the authors describe the approaches needed to study corals in the deep sea. They consider coral habitats created by stony scleractinian as well as octocoral species. The importance of corals as long-lived geological structures and palaeoclimate archives is discussed, in addition to ways in which they can be conserved. Topic boxes explain unfamiliar concepts, and case studies summarise significant studies, coral habitats or particular conservation measures. Written for professionals and students of marine science, this text is enhanced by an extensive glossary, online resources and a unique collection of colour photographs and illustrations of corals and the habitats they form.

Reviews

"This volume represents a major benchmark in our understanding of deep-water coral habitats and provides a springboard for the continuing studies of these dynamic and biodiverse environments in the deep sea."
Professor Paul Tyler, National Oceanography Centre
University of Southampton, UK

"A must for anyone interested in this fascinating but still poorly known deep-sea fauna."
Dr Tony Koslow, Director, California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations
(CalCOFI) Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA

"Roberts, Wheeler, Freiwald and Cairns have produced a remarkable text that will set the standard for many years to come."
Professor Imants G. Priede, Director, Oceanlab
University of Aberdeen, UK

"The major merit of this book is both to demonstrate the richness of cold water coral ecosystems and their ecological complexity but also their vulnerability, the gaps in our knowledge and the need to protect them rapidly, especially those found within the High Seas outside of any current jurisdiction."
Professor Denis Allemand, Scientific Director Centre Scientifique de Monaco