Researchers have discovered that deep ocean coral may be more susceptible to climate change than previously thought.
The findings came after a team of researchers discovered that deep-water coral in the Galapagos had disappeared for over 1,000 years before making a comeback.
The team made the discovery after analyzing more than 900 fossil deep-sea stony corals, some of which were recovered from depths of up to 1,000 meters/~3,300 feet. The team found that these corals, which survived for thousands of years, suddenly vanished 5,000 years ago before making a comeback after about a millennium.
According to the study’s lead author Dr. Joseph Stewart, lecturer in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol:
“The disappearance of the corals coincided with a prolonged La Niña phase. During that time, stronger ocean circulation brought deep, nutrient-rich water to the surface, which likely led to lower oxygen levels at depth, making it harder for deep-sea corals to survive.”
While Stuart Banks, co-author and principal investigator for the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Deep-ocean conservation program, added:
“This study has implications for how we design and manage Marine Protected Areas, many of which were originally setup to safeguard biodiversity in shallow coastal waters. We also now know that deep, unique and largely unseen ocean life across the Pacific is also influenced in different ways by changing climate conditions.
“The fact that these coral ecosystems eventually recovered tells us that resilience is possible. The challenge for conservation is to safeguard conditions that allow such recovery to happen. In the Eastern Tropical Pacific, this means building Marine Protected Area networks that protect the deep seafloor, supporting natural connectivity between habitats and robustness to climate-driven change.”
Finally, study co-author Dr. Daniel Fornari from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, stated:
“These missions were designed to explore the archipelago’s biological diversity and geological history, with this study representing one of many exciting discoveries emerging from these efforts.”
