Virtual Science Sunday—Deep-Sea Corals: Denizens of the Twilight Zone, and Silent Recorders of the Ocean’s Changing Ecology

Matthew McCarthy, Ph.D.
Professor, UC Santa Cruz

and

Thomas Guilderson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor, UC Santa Cruz
Research Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory



Most of the world’s oceans have yet to be explored–in fact, only about 20 percent have been mapped in detail. One area in particular offers scientists some of Earth’s greatest mysteries and potential for discovery. The mesopelagic, often called the ocean’s twilight zone, extends from 200 to 1,000 meters below the sea’s surface. Linking all of the world’s oceans, the mesopelagic is the largest continuous biome on Earth, yet is still poorly understood. The zone is home to deep-sea corals, unique animals with skeletons of carbonate or protein, which form staggeringly beautiful and almost totally unknown forests around the world on the mesopelagic seafloor. Beyond their beauty, deep-sea corals provide a unique window into understanding our rapidly changing oceans. Their organic (hard, protein-based) skeletons contain a detailed record of past changes of carbon and nutrient cycling.

Join Matthew and Thomas to learn more about deep-sea corals, experience two virtual dives collecting coral specimens with footage and images from real expeditions, and see how recent research of deep-sea corals allows for the reconstruction of past and current climate changes.

Register in advance for the Seymour Center's online Science Sunday webinar (required) HERE: seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/ongoing-education/science-sundays

Virtual Science Sundays are offered at no charge with preregistration. Please consider supporting the Seymour Center by becoming a member or making a donation today.
• seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/get-involved/join
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Thank you sincerely.



The November Science Sunday presentation will provide further discovery into the science behind the Seymour Center’s newly accessible Deep-Sea Coral virtual exhibit: seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/exhibits/exhibit-hall/#deep-sea-coral

Deep-Sea Coral is a digital mixed media project featuring curated archives from nearly 20 years of deep-sea exploration of ancient denizens of the deep. This virtual exhibit is artistically designed to merge art and marine science: Deep-Sea Coral showcases the work of UC Santa Cruz’s Institute of Marine Sciences researchers Tom Guilderson and Matt McCarthy; it has been curated by the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and features digital artistry by Saul Villegas.