Name: Coral Habitat Suitability - All Framework-Forming Corals
Display Field: habitatlik
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolygon
Description: This habitat suitability map includes all deep coral that can provide significant three-dimensional structure. In this region that includes stony corals (Scleractinia), black corals (Antipatharia), gorgonians, and certain soft corals (Alcyonacea).
Copyright Text: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOS, NOAA, Department of Commerce
Name: Coral Habitat Suitability - All Framework-Forming Stony Corals
Display Field: habitatlik
Type: Feature Layer
Geometry Type: esriGeometryPolygon
Description: Scleractinians are often the dominant reef-building corals in shallow environments and grow hard calcium carbonate skeletons in a wide variety of formations. The deep-sea scleractinians that provide major structure in the Gulf of Mexico and are modeled here include Lophelia spp., Madrepora spp., Madracis spp., Solenosmilia variabilis, and Enallopsammia spp.
Copyright Text: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOS, NOAA, Department of Commerce
Description: At least 20 antipatharian species are found in the Gulf of Mexico, and all potentially framework-forming species are included here. Some, such as Leiopathes spp., can form extensive bushy colonies with thorny skeletons made of hard protein.
Copyright Text: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOS, NOAA, Department of Commerce
Description: Alcyonacea encompasses several different groups of soft corals with flexible skeletons made of a variety of substances. Gorgonians, also known as sea and sea whips, are a subgroup of Alcyonacea modeled here. Common deep-sea examples in the Gulf of Mexico include Callogorgia spp., Paragorgia spp., Paramuricea spp., Sibobagorgia spp. (bubblegum coral), and Acanella arbuscula (bamboo coral).
Copyright Text: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOS, NOAA, Department of Commerce
Description: Lophelia is the most abundant colonial scleractinian in deep waters (>100 m) in the Gulf of Mexico, and forms extensive branching thickets in some regions. Due to its significant role in the region, it is also mapped separately from other framework-forming species.
Copyright Text: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), NOS, NOAA, Department of Commerce