Expedition Reveals Three Previously Unknwon Coral Reefs Off Florida's Coast

December 30, 2008 12:43 p.m. EST

Boca Raton, FL (AHN) - On the first expedition using state-of-the-art autonomous underwater vehicles to survey, map and identify large areas of the ocean bottom, researchers discovered three previously unknown Lophelia coral reefs. The week long mission has revealed extraordinary data about the mostly unknown deep water reefs just off Florida's coast.

The efforts of the scientists and crew from the Waitt Institute for Discovery, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University and Woods Hole Oceanograhpic Institute led to the discovery of the reefs, according to a statement from FAU. The reefs are located 35 miles off the coast, about 450 meters deep.

The expedition, CATALYST ONE, began on December 4 and by the next day had uncovered the first two deep coral reefs. The third Lophelia coral reef was found on December 7.

"Lophelia corals are found in the deeper ranges of the Straits of Florida, but it is still not clear how extensive these reefs are," John Reed, Harbor Branch's senior research professor, said in the statement.

Deep coral reefs are susceptible to destruction by bottom trawling fishing equipment. The survey, mapping and identifying of the reefs provides more data for the team's proposed Deep Coral Habitat Area for Particular Concern. Reed has also led the case for the marine protected areas that are in place now in the shallower Oculina coral reefs, about 15 to 20 miles off the east coast of Florida.

"This brief, seven day mission revealed spectacular data about the relatively unknown deep water reefs just off our coast," said Reed in the statement. "It was exciting to see these two new AUV vehicles work under some very difficult conditions, and there is no doubt that the combined efforts of the Waitt Institute, the AUV crew from Woods Hole, the sonar team, and our ship and crew from Harbor Branch made this expedition a success."