. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. 1. Introduction Cold-water coral reefs Coral reefs have long been recognized as one of tfie most spectacular ecosystems on Earth, forming a broad belt around the subtropical-tropical zone that is even visible from space. Any geologist or biologist knows that corals are found in shallow, well-lit, nutrient-poor tropical seas where the polyps are packed with symbiotic algae that provide them with energy, help them to grow and produce the calcareous skeletons that eventually form limestone when they
. Cold-water Coral Reefs: out of sight - no longer out of mind. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 22. 1. Introduction Cold-water coral reefs Coral reefs have long been recognized as one of tfie most spectacular ecosystems on Earth, forming a broad belt around the subtropical-tropical zone that is even visible from space. Any geologist or biologist knows that corals are found in shallow, well-lit, nutrient-poor tropical seas where the polyps are packed with symbiotic algae that provide them with energy, help them to grow and produce the calcareous skeletons that eventually form limestone when they die. Tropical coral reefs form complex habitats that act as centres of evolution in providing opportunities for species specialization. These coral reefs support some of the most diverse species assemblages in the marine realm. The survival of shallow-water tropical reefs is currently causing great concern internationally, due to widespread coral bleaching, which may be linked to human-induced climate change, and other threats. To use tropical coral reefs as an example, it is estimated that 60 per cent of reefs are seriously at threat from human activities (Cesar etal., 20031. Although their existence has been known for centuries, the observation and study of cold-water coral habitats in their natural surroundings began only in the last decade, when scientists around the globe used increasingly sophisticated instrumentation to explore deep-water environments. The use of advanced tech- nology, such as manned and robotic submersibles, has challenged conventional wisdom that coral reefs are confined to shallow and warm tropical and subtropical regions. Scientists have been able to explore a variety of coral ecosystems thriving in deep, dark and cold waters, currently most studied at high latitudes. Some of these cold-water corals construct banks or reefs as complex as their tropical cousins. Through radioactive dating tech- niques. It is now known that some living banks and reefs
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