Ivory Bush Coral | Oceana
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Ivory Bush Coral

At depths of 50 to over 100 meters (164 to 328 feet), this deep-sea coral gets its snowy white appearance from lacking the symbiotic algae that give many corals their bright colors, revealing its white calcium carbonate structure.

 

Ivory bush coral is a branching stony coral named for its pale, ivory-colored skeleton and bush-like structure. It is found throughout the western Atlantic Ocean in two main habitat types: shallow reefs, typically up to 30 meters (98.4 feet) deep, and deep-water reefs, most commonly between 50–100 meters (164–328 feet). Deep-water populations are known only from the west Florida shelf. Corals will grow together in colonies, sometimes forming dense thickets that cover the ocean bottom. In both shallow and deep waters, these thickets create important habitat for an array of wildlife, including fish and invertebrates.

Shallow-water ivory bush corals, like most reef-building corals, host tiny symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae, that help supply energy and give the corals their warm coloration. In contrast, deep-water colonies live without these algae — which is why deep-water ivory bush corals have their distinctive white color!

 

 

While the ivory bush coral is currently classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN Red List, it is still relatively rare. Destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling — where huge nets are dragged for miles along the seafloor, bulldozing everything in their path — have been known to destroy large sections of Florida’s special deep reefs.

 

 

Protecting ocean habitat from destructive fishing practices is essential to safeguarding fragile coral reefs and other ecosystems. Oceana campaigns to stop destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling, including working to stop this destruction in Marine Protected Areas. Learn more about our work and how you can help here.

 

 

 

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