Multispecies Coral Garden

During Dive 11 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, we discovered what is defined by the Oslo/Paris Convention (OSPAR) as a multispecies coral garden (100 - 700 coral colonies per every 100 square meter). The coral garden habitat was dominated by Calyptophora clinata whip corals and dotted with other coral species, including Bathypathes, Thouraella, Acanella, Chrysogorgia, and Parantipathes. This image shows part of the large area of coral garden habitat on top of a ledge outcrop.