Deep Water Coral Reefs

Unique Biodiversity Hot-Spots

Martin Hovland

Deep-water coral reefs are currently the target of intensive research, offering exciting opportunities for frontier exploration. Using a battery of modern techniques, such as deep-sea drilling, sampling, remote control surveying and documentation, marine scientists are hoping to find answers to questions such as:

• Why do they exist at all?
• What can they tell us about the enigmatic ancient reefs that lived on earth, such as Devonian and Jurassic reefs?
• Are they robust or delicate organic communities?


This book provides a comprehensive and thorough scientific analysis and documentation of deep-water coral reefs around the world. It reviews what is currently known about these unique reefs and how they may be protected for the future. In addition, Deep-water Coral Reefs

• tells the story of how these fascinating structures were discovered
• theorises about how these biological communities developed and why they still thrive in 'the deep, cold, dark, hostile environment'
• details the implications for the understanding of other underwater communities, such as tropical coral reefs
• contains many previously unpublished images, many in full colour

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Coral reefs
3. A modern re-discovery
4. Scandinavian coral reefs
5. North Atlantic coral reefs and giant’carbonate’mounds
6. Other deep-water coral reefs, worldwide
7. Ancient and modern analogues
8. Competing theories
9. An unintended extinction?
10. Conclusions

Appendix A Some additional photographs and images
Appendix B Epilogue

Extent: 288 pages, 4 colour throughout
Binding: Hardback
Publication Date: May 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4020-8461-4

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