April 2021
A team of scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary have been conducting deep-sea coral studies at Sur Ridge since 2013. Their research includes detailed biological and ecological examination of deep-sea corals and how damaged corals can be restored at great depths.
The team led one of the first studies involving the transplantation of live deep-sea corals. This groundbreaking research includes the propagation of fragments from different coral species by removing small branches at depth, bringing them to the surface and attaching to cemented pots, then replanting the fragments to the seafloor. This study has shed light on the many challenges in restoring deep-sea corals.
NOAA and MBARI’s cutting-edge work comes with the intention to educate other scientists and resource managers around the world about proper transplanting and mitigation techniques – as demonstrated in the recent publication Guide to Translocating Coral Fragments for Deep-sea Restoration.
This research at Sur Ridge is featured in a new National Marine Sanctuaries web story.