In 2016, when motorists will be able to drive across the ocean between Italy's main land and Sicily on what will be the longest suspension bridge ever built, few will have an inkling of the vast and otherworldly forests that stretch beneath the waves hundreds of feet below. In April, a team of Italian researchers discovered the largest known underwater coral forest. Using an underwater robot, marine biologists at Italy's Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) found almost 30,000 colonies of the
Black Coral Antipathella subpinnata at depths between 55 and 100 meters (180 and 328 feet). Image: ISPRA
"In that stretch of water, images taken by the robot showed a seascape completely dominated by spectacular tree-like colonies of black coral, some more than 1 meter (3.3 feet) high. This is the first time these rare species are observed in their natural habitat," biologist Eva Salvati said in an article on
Discovery News.
Black Coral can thrive in light-less depths because unlike their shallow water counterparts, they do not harbor symbiotic algae they harbor in their tissues that depend on sunlight to drive photosynthesis. Highly sought after by jewelry makers for the jet-black shine of their skeleton, all Black Coral species are listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species act
(CITES) and their trade should be carefully regulated.
In 2016, when motorists will be able to drive across the ocean between Italy's main land and Sicily on what will be the longest suspension bridge ever built, few will have an inkling of the vast and otherworldly forests that stretch beneath the waves hundreds of feet below. In April, a team of Italian researchers discovered the largest known underwater coral forest. Using an underwater robot, marine biologists at Italy's Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) found almost 30,000 colonies of the Black Coral Antipathella subpinnata at depths between 55 and 100 meters (180 and 328 feet). Image: ISPRA
Black Coral can thrive in light-less depths because unlike their shallow water counterparts, they do not harbor symbiotic algae they harbor in their tissues that depend on sunlight to drive photosynthesis. Highly sought after by jewelry makers for the jet-black shine of their skeleton, all Black Coral species are listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species act (CITES) and their trade should be carefully regulated.
Helicocranchia pfefferi, the Piglet Squid! Thanks to a unique pattern of its pigment cells, this little deep sea creature looks like a cuddly character from a children's book. The squid's body is mostly transparent, except for patches of pigment-bearing cells in its skin giving it its happy-face pattern. Although not much is known about the creatures, researchers take their body shape as a hint. Rather than darting about as many squid do, the Piglet Squid are more likely to bumble along in the currents below 100m (320 ft) and catch whatever small prey happens to swim by. According to the UK-based Telegraph, this specimen, about the size of an orange, was collected by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium where director Mike Schaat managed to capture it on film.
Scientists from the UK and Germany have discovered the only vertebrate so far that uses mirrors as part of its eyes to collect the faint flashes of bioluminescence in almost lightless waters 1,000 meters below the waves. "That must give the fish a great advantage in the deep sea, where the ability to spot even the dimmest and briefest of lights can mean the difference between eating and being eaten," said Julian Partridge from Bristol University, according to the BBC.
