Photo of the day

Did you know that two-thirds of all discovered coral life exists in deep, dark, cold waters? Deep-sea corals are located between 150 feet (45 meters) and more than 13,000 feet (4 kilometers) below the ocean’s surface. Contrary to shallow, warm-water reefs, they grow into massive, feathering structures — like these Gersemia fruticosa, a species of soft coral we think looks a lot like glow-in-the-dark fir trees! Some deep-sea corals reach heights of over 110 feet (33 meters) and are at least 8,500 years old. Their beautiful forms and specialized adaptations represent a critical habitat that we’ve only just begun to explore and understand.