Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble | The Provincetown Independent

If you were to picture coral right now, your mind’s eye would surely see tropical reefs with crystal-clear turquoise water. But that image is incomplete: the temperate seas around the world are full of corals clinging to the walls of trenches, rocky cliffs, and seamounts, and the waters around Cape Cod are no exception.

The deep waters of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are home to a vast array of corals. Previous research has revealed their diversity, ecological value, and adaptations. Now, a three-year-long National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiative is aiming to shed more light on these animals, which are facing a barrage of threats from human activity that could wipe them out before we even get a chance to understand them.

Meet Your Local Corals

There are two groups of corals in the waters around Cape Cod: those found close to shore, and those found in the depths. ...

Near the rocky areas around Woods Hole, one species is Astrangia poculata, or the northern star coral, whose translucent, grasping tentacles make it look like a sea anemone. It reaches its northern range limit in that area.

According to Loretta Roberson, associate scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, these non-reefbuilding corals can survive attached to anything hard, even something not anchored to the seabed. Roberson described finding “coral rocks,” where a pebble or clam shell gets encrusted in layers of northern star coral, rolling untethered on the seafloor. Read rest of the story here.

Source: Cape Cod’s Coral Gardens (Yes, We Have Corals Here) Are in Trouble | The Provincetown Independent