Given that tropical reef-building corals are only found in shallow, sun-lit waters, how on Earth can coral survive in the depths of the Atlantic? New research, which involves visiting the reefs, sheds light on what could be behind these mysterious, deep-water ecosystems. The word 'coral' conjures up images of tropical beaches with colourful reefs within snorkelling distance - not miles from shore in the North-east Atlantic. But that's where some of the largest coral structures on Earth are now beingexplored. As any good geologist or biologist knows, corals are found in shallow, well-lit, low-nutrient, tropical seas where the polyps are packed with algae that help the corals grow and produce their limestone skeletons. But not necessarily.
展开▼
