Cold-water coral ecosystems can support up to 29 times more fauna than areas with no corals. They provide a habitat and refuge for deep-sea inhabitants.
At the same time, they provide food and breeding grounds for visiting species, and therefore have a more general impact on the marine environment.
📸 Javier Sánchez
Cold-water corals are often an essential element for tourism in the regions where they are found. They attract snorkelers, divers and free divers, and beachgoers. They also support the livelihoods of local communities in this way.
📸 Equilibrio Marino
Cold water corals support jobs and livelihoods of coastal communities all around the world, including through fishing and tourism.
📸 UNEP
Research on cold water corals has developed very recently. We are just beginning to understand these ecosystems, their structure and their functioning. All their secrets have yet to be discovered!
📸 Equilibrio Marino