Deep-sea corals, also known as cold water corals, create complex communities that provide habitat for a variety of invertebrate and fish species, such as grouper, snapper, and sea bass. The map depicts the relative likelihood of finding suitable habitat for stony corals at a given location and is a prediction based on a statistical model relating several environmental characteristics to the presence of stony corals using observations of stony corals. Stony coral are the primary reef-building corals and produce hard skeletons made of aragonite, a crystal form of calcium carbonate. Please also reference the "Deep-Sea Soft Coral Habitat Suitability" layer. Predictions from these habitat suitability models can be used to support conservation and management of deep-sea corals and to assist with targeting areas for mapping and exploration.

Shallow Corals were extracted from the Benthic Cover described herein by exporting all features classified as "B2.1.2" within the Biotic Cover Code field. Benthic cover (habitat) maps are derived from aerial imagery, underwater photos, acoustic surveys, and data gathered from sediment samples. Shallow to moderate-depth benthic habitat information assists ecosystem-based marine resource management. Many habitats, including hard and soft corals, are home to a diversity of marine organisms, which provide many important ecosystem services, including fishing, tourism, water quality enhancement, and shoreline protection. Coral reef ecosystems and associated bottom types are under increasing pressure from environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Mitigating these threats requires analyzing their spatial distribution, making benthic habitat mapping a key component to the conservation and management activities of state and federal agencies.

These data depict zones for the protection of deep-sea coral from physical damage by fishing gear. Commercial fishermen are prohibited from using bottom-tending gear such otter trawls; beam trawls; hydraulic dredges; non-hydraulic dredges; seines; longlines; pots and traps; and sink or anchored gillnets within these zones. Additional coral protection areas may also be defined as part of an Area of Particular Concern within an Essential Fish Habitat.

Scientists examined the coral-associated invertebrate fauna at three large precious coral beds in the Hawaiian Archipelago, the Makapuu Bed, on the southwest slope of Oahu, the Keahole Bed, on the western slope of Hawaii, and the Cross Seamount Bed.

Artificial reefs provide new or enhanced hard-bottom habitat to areas that may or may not be habitat limited. Artificial habitat provides space that is quickly colonized by sessile organisms and provides new food sources, greater protection of juveniles by providing more space to be used as refuge, and a possible focal point for aggregating adults to spawn. Properly sited, constructed and managed reef sites, particularly multiple-site complexes, can be used to meet a variety of objectives. Traditionally, the majority of artificial reefs in United States coastal marine waters have been sited and built to enhance recreational fishing.

The national database of deep sea coral observations. Northeast version 1.0. ***** This database was developed by the NOAA NOS NCCOS CCMA Biogeography office as part of a New York Offshore Spatial Planning project.

Deep Sea Coral Presence data from around the United States of America 1842 to 2017. Data extracted from the NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program. Please cite the database as: NOAA (2018) National Database for Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges (version 20180329-0). https://deepseacoraldata.noaa.gov/; NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research & Technology Program.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) developed a spatial framework, process, and online application (Buja and Christensen 2019) to identify mapping needs along the south Florida coast to support shallow coral reef management by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). Eighteen participants from local federal, state, academic, and other institutions entered their priorities in an online participatory Geographic Information System (pGIS). Participants used virtual coins to denote their priorities in 10.4 km2 hexagonal grid cells overlaid on the study area. Grid cells with more coins were higher priorities than cells with fewer coins. Participants also reported why these locations were important, what data types were needed, and data collection methodologies using a pre-set list of options. Results were compiled, summarized, and mapped to identify high priority areas, reasons for those priorities, and information needs. Identifying these high priority areas provide a critical spatial framework for prioritizing mapping efforts in shallow coral reef ecosystems in south Florida.

The national database of deep sea coral observations. Northeast version 1.0. ***** This database was developed by the NOAA NOS NCCOS CCMA Biogeography office as part of a New York Offshore Spatial Planning project.

This data collection contains geospatial data from models predicting the spatial distributions of deep-sea corals and sponges offshore of the continental U.S. West Coast to 1200 m depth. It includes raster datasets at 200 x 200 m spatial resolution depicting the mean of the predicted relative habitat suitability, the coefficient of variation of the predicted relative habitat suitability, the classified mean relative habitat suitability, and the ‘robust high’ habitat suitability prediction for each of 31 taxa of deep-sea corals and 15 taxa of sponges and raster datasets at 200 x 200 m spatial resolution depicting the number of taxa of deep-sea corals associated with hard substrate that have ‘high’ habitat suitability or ‘robust high’ habitat suitability at each grid cell. The data collection also includes raster datasets at 200 x 200 m spatial resolution depicting each of the 66 spatial environmental predictor variables considered for fitting the models.