Corals of Alaska


Discovered on July 2002, the Coral gardens of the Aleutian islands of Alaska are as diverse as many tropical reefs.

Courtesy of the USGS

You heard correctly; a diverse community of corals exists in Alaskan Aleutian islands, the last place you would expect one.

Scientists have known the existence of these corals for a couple of centuries, which is the amount of time deep water trawls have been pulling them up. On the other hand the scientists never expected a community with so many different types of corals and sponges.

The coral garden exists more than 1000 feet under the surface and is very different from their tropical cousins. The Aleutian corals don’t need light, requiring nutrients instead. They also don’t build reefs, as the dead corals wash away.

Unfortunately, even corals as remote as these are threatened, trawls for ground fish and other seafoods leave big empty tracks in these gardens.

USGS

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Courtesy of the Alaskan Fisheries science center

from savecorals.com

from savecorals.com