- coral reef
- The 85-mile-long deep-sea reef is located approximately 160 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina.
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Scientists discovered 85 miles of deep-sea coral reef hidden off the US East Coast — here's what it looks like
Scientists on a recent expedition discovered a previously unseen coral reef hidden off the US East Coast. Earlier research pointed to the existence of the reef, but it had never been seen firsthand.
Alvin collects a sample of Lophelia pertusa from an extensive mound of both dead and live coral.
The seafloor is one of the last unexplored regions of our watery planet.
On a recent expedition dubbed Deep Search 2018, a group of ocean researchers discovered 85 miles of deep-sea coral reef off the coast of the southeastern US.
Thriving Lophelia pertusa reefs were found in a region further offshore and in deeper water than other known Lophelia reefs in the US Atlantic.
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Researchers will use the samples they collected to better understand these teeming deep-sea communities. Cordes told HuffPost the reef provides important habitat for a number of fish and coral species.
But President Donald Trump's Administration has proposed rolling back bans on offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic, which could potentially impact this reef, according to a report from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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