A pink bubblegum coral next to snail egg case columns from snail Neptunea, in Pioneer Canyon, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA/Ocean Exploration Trust

Bubblegum coral next to snail egg case columns in Pioneer Canyon, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. In 2020, researchers sampled corals and the surrounding water in this area for taxonomic information, coral ageing studies, ocean acidification state, and the presence of microplastics. Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust

 

The Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program is tasked with identifying and mapping the locations of deep-sea corals. To meet this mandate, the Program has built a national geographic database that houses spatial records of deep-sea corals and sponges derived from the research funded by the Program, results of other NOAA programs that study the deep sea, and data voluntarily contributed by other federal agencies, research institutions and international organizations. 


Resources:

Technical memos describing the National Database: