Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Erick E. Cordes; Amanda Demopoulos; Andrew Davies; Ryan Gasbarro; Alexandria Rhoads; Elizabeth Lobecker; Dereck Sowers; Jason Chaytor; Cheryl Morrison; Alexis Marie Weinnig; Sandra Brooke; Jay J. Lunden; Furu Mienis; Samantha B. Joye; Andrea M. Quattrini; Tracey Sutton; Catherine McFadden; Jill Bourque; Jennifer McClain Counts; Brian D. Andrews; Melissa Betters; Peter Etnoyer; Gary Wolff; Bernie Bernard; James Brooks; Michael Rasser; Caitlin Adams

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-45559-5

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Scientific Reports

By: Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, and Caitlin Adams

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45559-5

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Abstract

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau off the U.S. east coast, an area of intense human activity including fisheries and naval operations, and potentially energy and mineral extraction. At one site, CWC mounds are arranged in lines that total over 150 km in length, making this one of the largest reef complexes discovered in the deep ocean. This site experiences rapid and extreme shifts in temperature between 4.3 and 10.7 °C, and currents approaching 1 m s⁻¹. Carbon is transported to depth by mesopelagic micronekton and nutrient cycling on the reef results in some of the highest nitrate concentrations recorded in the region. Predictive models reveal expanded areas of highly suitable habitat that currently remain unexplored. Multidisciplinary exploration of this new site has expanded understanding of the cold-water coral niche, improved our accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat, and emphasizes the importance of properly managing these systems.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Series title	Scientific Reports
DOI	10.1038/s41598-023-45559-5
Volume	13
Year Published	2023
Language	English
Publisher	Nature
Contributing office(s)	National Wetlands Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Description	19482, 14 p.
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page