Shipwrecks off the Irish coast are acting as artificial reefs for corals usually found much deeper in the Atlantic.
That’s according to NUI Galway ocean scientist Anthony Grehan, who told the Irish Examiner about his recent surprising find at the wreck of a cargo vessel 160 metres below the surface.
Using the new submersible robot Étáin from the University of Limerick, Grehan and a team on the RV Celtic Explorer found examples of the stony coral species lophelia pertusa, which usually found at depths of 500 metres or more.
And the new discovery suggests that such wrecks may provide the necessary stability for deep-water corals to thrive in shallower waters.
The Irish Examiner has much more on the story HERE.