Oct 21, 2010 08:25 GMT  ·  By
It may be that shallow-water corals are more easily affected by oil plumes than their deep-sea brethren
   It may be that shallow-water corals are more easily affected by oil plumes than their deep-sea brethren

A team of independent scientists has started a new investigations campaign in the Gulf of Mexico, that will provide additional insight into how the BP oil spill affected corals living deep under the surface.

This type of reeds are relatively unstudied, when compared to their shallow-water brethren, because they are a lot more difficult to get to. They are however significantly more widespread.

The new expedition started yesterday, October 20, on the six-month anniversary of the start of the massive oil spill that was to become the worst environmental disaster in the history of the US.

Scientists are using the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise as a research platform. The ship carries a small, two-person submarine called Deep Worker, which can be used to collect invaluable data on the health of the coral reefs living thousands of feet under the surface of Gulf waters.

At depth of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) or more, temperatures are very low, and sunlight is nearly inexistent. Yet, deepwater corals managed to thrive here, and to spread throughout the world's oceans.

For the new study, the research team selected an area just 40 miles (64 kilometers) away from the original site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The region was covered in oil slicks as the crisis unfolded a few months ago.

Initial investigations conducted here using unmanned submarines have evidenced little signs of distress on the corals, but this research should let experts now if the corals have dodged a bullet, or if they suffered other types of damage.

“There are more species of deep-sea coral, and they cover more area. Part of the reason is the deep sea is just bigger than the shallower water environment,” Steven W. Ross tells Our Amazing Planet.

The expert is the chief scientists on the new expedition. He holds an appointment as a professor at the University of North Carolina, in Wilmington.

Researchers will now focus on the species of cold-loving, branching corals known as Lophelia pertusa, which permeates the oceans at large depths. These creatures can live for thousands of years.

“So far, there are no real obvious signs that the reefs are suffering, so we're cautiously optimistic that they've dodged a bullet,” adds scientist Sandra Brooke, who specializes in coral reproduction.

Brooke is also a member of the research team, and she holds an appointment as a coral biologist at the Marine Conservation Biology Institute.

The expert adds that oil has other mechanisms of destroying corals other than covering them up. “One of the things that have been documented in other research is that oil can cause corals to abort their larvae,” she explains.

“Given the timing of the reproductive cycle, they should be packed with eggs and sperm. If there's nothing in there, then that's an indicator there's been some kind of impact,” Brooke adds.