What are deep sea corals and sponges?
Deep sea corals and sponges, some of the oldest animals on Earth, grow at the rate of just a few millimeters each year and live for thousands of years. In recent years NOAA and other scientific organizations worldwide have discovered that the majority of the coral species found in the world’s oceans live in deep or cold waters. Deep sea corals are typically found along continental margins, seamounts, undersea canyons and ridges. Some individual corals grow together to form small bushes or fans; others form larger colonies such as reefs or great trees. Sponges are single animals. Two thirds of all coral species are deep-sea corals.
