Two types of deep-water coral banks occur off the coast of southeastern United States: Oculina and Lophelia / Enallopsammia. The Oculina banks form an extensive reef system at depths of 70-100 m along the shelf edge off central eastern Florida. These reefs are comprised of >100 individual pinnacles and ridges which are up to 24 min height. Each pinnacle is actually a bank of unconsolidated sediment and coral debris that is capped on the slopes and crest with living colonies of Oculina varicosa. the ivory tree coral. In comparison, deep-water banks of Lophelia and Enallopsammia corals occur at depths of 490-870 m along the base of the Florida-Hatteras slope on the west side of the Florida Straits and also on the Blake Plateau off South Carolina and Georgia. The morphology and functional structure of both the Oculina and Lophelia banks are similar. This paper summarizes 10 years of submersible studies on the deep-water Oculina reefs and describes recent submersible reconnaissance of the Lophelia banks off southeastern U.S.A.
Member of
Contributors
Publisher
American Academy of Underwater Sciences
Date Issued
1992
Note
Language
Type
Genre
Form
Extent
11 p.
Subject (Topical)
Identifier
FA00007304
Additional Information
Two types of deep-water coral banks occur off the coast of southeastern United States: Oculina and Lophelia / Enallopsammia. The Oculina banks form an extensive reef system at depths of 70-100 m along the shelf edge off central eastern Florida. These reefs are comprised of >100 individual pinnacles and ridges which are up to 24 min height. Each pinnacle is actually a bank of unconsolidated sediment and coral debris that is capped on the slopes and crest with living colonies of Oculina varicosa. the ivory tree coral. In comparison, deep-water banks of Lophelia and Enallopsammia corals occur at depths of 490-870 m along the base of the Florida-Hatteras slope on the west side of the Florida Straits and also on the Blake Plateau off South Carolina and Georgia. The morphology and functional structure of both the Oculina and Lophelia banks are similar. This paper summarizes 10 years of submersible studies on the deep-water Oculina reefs and describes recent submersible reconnaissance of the Lophelia banks off southeastern U.S.A.
Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution 930
This manuscript is an author version with
the final publication available and may be cited as: Reed, J. K. (1992). Submersible studies of deepwater
Oculina and Lophelia coral banks off southeastern U.S.A. In L. B. Cahoon (Ed.), Diving for
science…1992: proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences twelfth annual Scientific
Diving Symposium, September 24-27, 1992, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington,
North Carolina (pp. 143-151). Costa Mesa, CA: American Academy of Underwater Sciences.
the final publication available and may be cited as: Reed, J. K. (1992). Submersible studies of deepwater
Oculina and Lophelia coral banks off southeastern U.S.A. In L. B. Cahoon (Ed.), Diving for
science…1992: proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences twelfth annual Scientific
Diving Symposium, September 24-27, 1992, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington,
North Carolina (pp. 143-151). Costa Mesa, CA: American Academy of Underwater Sciences.
Date Backup
1992
Date Text
1992
Date Issued (EDTF)
1992
Extension
FAU
IID
FA00007304
Organizations
Attributed name: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Person Preferred Name
Reed, John K.
jreed12@fau.edu
Physical Description
11 p.
Title Plain
Submersible studies of deepwaterOculina and Lophelia coral banks off southeastern U.S.A.
Origin Information
1992
American Academy of Underwater Sciences
Costa Mesa, CA
Place
Costa Mesa, CA
Title
Submersible studies of deepwaterOculina and Lophelia coral banks off southeastern U.S.A.
Other Title Info
Submersible studies of deepwaterOculina and Lophelia coral banks off southeastern U.S.A.