Celebrating an entirely new family of black corals
A new black coral family was discovered, the first in 18 years, using samples collected during the 2023 Health Diagnostics of Deep-Sea Coral Expedition in the waters off Puerto Rico. A recent paper by Horowitz et al., scientifically describes a new family of antipatharian corals, Ameripathidae. To the authors, discoveries like these help emphasize the need to increase exploration efforts, especially in mesophotic and deep coral habitats in understudied regions.
The new family is Ameripathidae; the genus is Ameripathes, and the species is pseudomyriophylla. Scientists used an integrative approach, combining morphological and genomic data to identify these corals as representative of a new species, a new genus, and a new family. They conducted morphological analyses of the specimens using a scanning electron microscope; they also completed molecular analyses through DNA extractions and phylogenetic analyses via high-throughput sequencing.
Two samples in this paper were collected by scientists on board R/V Falkor (too) as they explored east of Desecheo Island, which is off the west coast of Puerto Rico, with ROV SuBastian. The authors note that ROVs and cutting-edge genetic methodologies are revolutionizing our ability to describe and situate new and existing species within a phylogenetic framework, and ROVs can provide invaluable in situ data, including imagery that reveals information such as colony color, habitat, and associated invertebrates. The samples were deposited in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History collections in Washington, DC, U.S.
This expedition, led by Dr. Colleen Hansel of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the U.S., explored the role of Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS, in the function and health of mesophotic and deep-sea corals. The science team also successfully tested two newly designed instruments for measuring reactive oxygen species called ROS in situ — a device called DISCO, which stands for Diver-operated Submersible Chemiluminescent Sensor, for shallow depths and lab measurements, and an instrument mounted on ROV SuBastian for deeper depths called SOLARIS, which stands for Submersible Oceanic Luminescent Analyzer of Reactive Intermediate Species. Hansel and a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution team developed both devices, and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners funded DISCO.
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Chapter 8 Newsletter – 2024 • Menu
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