Each record in this database includes a reference to the source of the data. Users are urged to go to the original sources for more details about individual records. In most cases, the reference in the database should be the citation used when the data are discussed in other publications. When referring to a derivative of this database (for example, a map showing distribution of a particular coral species), please cite this database as follows:

Scanlon, K.M., Waller, R.G., Sirotek, A.R., Knisel, J.M., O’Malley, J.J., and Alesandrini, Stian, 2010, USGS cold-water coral geographic database—Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic Ocean, version 1.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008–1351, CD-ROM, (Also available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1351/).