Lophelia pertusa, a deep-sea reef-building coral that thrives in the Arctic. Røst Reef near Norway is 3 x 5 km (2 x 22 miles) of Lophelia. It thrives without sunlight, eating plankton up to 2 cm in size, and builds important habitats. (And if you didn't know, corals are animals.)
Thanks for the correction; Wikipedia is still using the old name. It also seems that Lophelia has more or less become a common name for the species.
You're welcome! It's an interesting story, other Desmophyllum species are usually solitary cup corals.
how did I not know that corals lived in the Arctic? anyone know if they are having the problems tropical corals are, due to climate change?
Yes, sudden temperature changes are a likely threat to them, as well as trawling and possibly oil drilling. I also had thought that coral reefs only existed in tropical shallow water.
Lophelia pertusa is now Desmophyllum pertusum
Thanks for the correction; Wikipedia is still using the old name. It also seems that Lophelia has more or less become a common name for the species.
You're welcome!
It's an interesting story, other Desmophyllum species are usually solitary cup corals.
how did I not know that corals lived in the Arctic? anyone know if they are having the problems tropical corals are, due to climate change?
Yes, sudden temperature changes are a likely threat to them, as well as trawling and possibly oil drilling.
I also had thought that coral reefs only existed in tropical shallow water.
They're so cute I can't handle it