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deep coral commmunities - sentinels of a changing ocean Deep Sea Coral Communities - Sentinels of a Changing Ocean

Giant Pacific Octopus

Photo taken in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Giant Pacific Octopus
Enteroctopus dofleini

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: Shallow to 800 meters
  • Reddish-brown color, but can vary with mood or background
  • Size: Arm spread about 3 meters
  • Weight: About 100 pounds
  • Found on rocky, as well as soft bottom
Brown Box Crab

Photo taken in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Brown Box Crab
Lopholithodes foraminatus

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: Intertidal to 550 meters
  • Red-brown color
  • Size: Carapace width approximately 18.5 centimeters
  • Usually found in the deep sea, on the ocean's sea floor
Bubblegum Coral

Photo taken in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Bubblegum Coral
Paragorgia arborea pacifica

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 250 meters and deeper
  • Red to pink in color
  • Size: Ranges from 20 centimeters to larger than 3 meters
  • Branching coral
Red Tree Coral

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Red Tree Coral
Primnoa pacifica

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 250-1,000 meters
  • Pink to orange in color
  • Size: 20 centimeters to larger than 3 meters
Black Skate

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Black Skate
Raja trachura

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 213-2,550 meters
  • Gray to black in color
  • Size: Up to a maximum of 91 centimeters
  • Found partially or completely buried in sand or silt
Spider Hard Coral

Photo taken in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Spider Hard Coral
Lophelia pertusa

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 65-1,000 meters
  • Light pinkish to white in color
  • Colonial organism
  • Aggregate-forming deep-sea coral
Basket Star

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Basket Star
Gorgonocephalus eucnemis

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 10-2,000 meters
  • Dark brown to pinkish color
  • Size: Central disk is up to 14 centimeters
  • Found on rocky bottoms
Scarlet King Crab

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Scarlet King Crab
Lithodes cousei

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: Intertidal to 183 meters
  • Reddish in color
  • Weight: Ranges from 8-20 pounds
Green Ball Sponge

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Green Ball Sponge
Latrunculia sp.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 550-850 meters
  • Green to brown in color
  • Size: 2-7 centimeters
  • Ball shaped with visible craters
  • Newly discovered in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Mushroom Soft Coral

Photo taken in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Mushroom Soft Coral
Anthomastus sp.

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 500-1,000 meters
  • Red to pink in color
  • Size: 5-15 centimeters
  • Ball shaped on top with a stalk to hold to substrate
  • Protrusions when tentacles extended
Feather Star or Crinoids

Photo taken in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Feather Star or Crinoids
Florometra serratissima

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 10-1,250 meters
  • Multiple colors (primarily yellow/brown)
  • Size: Up to 1 meter, but most are much smaller
  • Can be found attached to rocks for filter feeding or free swimming
California Hydrocoral

Photo taken in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

California Hydrocoral
Stylaster californicus

Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 4-110 meters
  • Primarily pink/purple
  • Size: Maximum 30 centimeters in height and 60 centimeters in width
  • Adheres to rocky substrate and thrives in high current areas
Rosy Rockfish in Sponge

Photo taken in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Rosy Rockfish in Sponge
Sebastes rosaceus

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 30-120 meters
  • Orange to pink in color with purple edges around white spots
  • Size: 10-25 centimeters
White Hydrocoral

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

White Hydrocoral
Stylaster sp.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 250-800 meters
  • White in color
  • Size: 15-25 centimeters

Photo taken in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Black Coral
Antipathes dendrochristos

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 100-400 meters
  • Multiple color morphs with a black skeleton
  • Broad bushy coral that can reach heights of 250 centimeters

Photo taken in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA

Cylindrical Sponge
Porifera sp.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

  • Depth: 800-1,000 meters
  • White, yellow or brown in color
  • Size: Ranges from very small to large enough for a person to stand inside
  • Cylindrical shaped

Photo taken in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA/MBARI

Fly Trap Anemone
Hormathidae family

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Davidson Seamount

  • Depth: Up to 1,900 meters
  • Size: 30 centimeters across
  • Live on seamounts with strong currents and deep sea ridges
  • Releases bioluminescent slime

Photo taken in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: NOAA/MBARI

Blob Sculpin
Psychrolutes phrictus

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Davidson Seamount

  • Depth: 500-2,800 meters
  • Size: Grows to 60 centimeters
  • Shaped like large flabby tadpoles
  • Eats crabs and sea pens