UCC team discovers cold-water coral

A UCC-led team of scientists has discovered a previously unseen cold-water coral. The find may double the amount previously thought to exist in Irish waters.

The discovery was made by scientists on the Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Explorer during a survey entitled the Quantifying Environmental Controls on Cold-water Coral Reef Growth.

While conducting the research on Irish cold-water coral reefs, Professor Andy Wheeler of UCC investigated a submerged vertical cliff 800m below the sea surface and found it covered in cold-water coral.