Deep sea corals in the South Atlantic: new insights from an interdisciplinary study
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Earth Sciences
Abstract
Ubiquitous to all oceans, scleractinian corals have been the main framework builders in the shallow and deep-sea since the Triassic. In contrast to their shallow-water counterparts, cold-water corals (also known as azooxanthellate or deep-sea corals) do not live in symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates. This means that they can live deep within the ocean without the need for light. Occurrences of deep-sea corals have been reported from Antarctica to the Arctic and down to depths as great as 6,300 m. Despite their global distribution, and potential importance in forming habitats, little is known about the controls on their distributions. With ongoing changes to the ocean environment it is timely to consider the potential vulnerability of these important ecosystems. This proposal represents a unique opportunity to combine the efforts of deep-sea coral researchers in the UK (Laura Robinson and Michelle Taylor) and Brazil (Marcelo V. Kitahara). The project seeks to initiate a long-term partnership which aims to build a coherent view of the long term controls (both today and in the past) on deep-sea corals in the South Atlantic.
The South Atlantic holds numerous records of deep-sea coral species, especially on the Brazilian Margin - extending onto seamounts and ridges. These records encompass more than 60 species of which some are purported to form the largest deep-water coral reefs in the world. Such large reefs are formed under the influence of several water masses originating in both the high northern and southern latitudes. These waters have very different properties such as nutrient concentrations, pH and temperature. With this diversity in habitat and water column properties the South Atlantic is an ideal testing ground to explore the large scale controls on deep-sea corals in space and time. With access to samples to the North and South of Brazil (UK collaborators) and within the South Atlantic (Brazil) and with world leading expertise in taxonomy, genetics, deep sea ecology and coral mineralogy, growth rate, geochemistry and past climates we are proposing to come together in a new collaboration to share our ideas, samples and techniques.
Within the two-year program we will organise exchange visits, establish a shared data base, share samples and access to laboratories. During the project we will seek to establish additional support to continue these efforts beyond the scope of this initial pump priming proposal.
The South Atlantic holds numerous records of deep-sea coral species, especially on the Brazilian Margin - extending onto seamounts and ridges. These records encompass more than 60 species of which some are purported to form the largest deep-water coral reefs in the world. Such large reefs are formed under the influence of several water masses originating in both the high northern and southern latitudes. These waters have very different properties such as nutrient concentrations, pH and temperature. With this diversity in habitat and water column properties the South Atlantic is an ideal testing ground to explore the large scale controls on deep-sea corals in space and time. With access to samples to the North and South of Brazil (UK collaborators) and within the South Atlantic (Brazil) and with world leading expertise in taxonomy, genetics, deep sea ecology and coral mineralogy, growth rate, geochemistry and past climates we are proposing to come together in a new collaboration to share our ideas, samples and techniques.
Within the two-year program we will organise exchange visits, establish a shared data base, share samples and access to laboratories. During the project we will seek to establish additional support to continue these efforts beyond the scope of this initial pump priming proposal.
Planned Impact
Beyond the scientific community, we have identified five end-user groups who may benefit from the new collaboration and science outcomes.
a) Policy makers: Diversity and connectivity data are often requested from policy makers (e.g. regional marine fisheries organisations), Marine Protected Area managers, and required by industry for Environmental Impact Assessments. These data are widely lacking for the deep sea; especially the South Atlantic. This project will provide raw data for this purpose as well as core specimens for future connectivity studies.
b) General Public - Project Website and Public Lectures and Events: Our project provides an excellent teaching opportunity for public engagement through the visually impactful imagery and footage from the deep sea. We will publicize our research through Facebook and Twitter, providing links to associated websites and our latest talks, press releases, and papers. We will continue to participate in outreach events to reach the largest possibly audience.
c) Undergraduates: We will engage undergraduate students directly in the project by enabling hands-on laboratory expertise, a passion for scientific endeavour, and a deep knowledge of the research field. Summer projects and final year projects provide a great opportunity for advisors and students to integrate education and research beyond the classroom, advance discovery and understanding, while providing training on solving scientific problems and laboratory skills. Major findings will also be posted on the Departmental Facebook pages allowing the wider undergraduate community to maintain awareness of cutting-edge research activities that are happening in their building.
d) Early career scientists: This project will enhance the career development of two early career scientists, one in Brazil (Kitahara) and one in the UK (Taylor). The project will bring a direct benefit to them through financial support, as well as providing the basis for a collaboration that has the potential to bring long term scientific benefits. Robinson will provide support and mentoring within the framework of the project and beyond.
e) Increasing Women in STEM: The proposal supports two female investigators who will continue to provide mentorship and act as role models for junior women in STEM subjects. Efforts will be made during the project to include female graduates and undergraduate students in the project through direct internships and through outreach presentations.
a) Policy makers: Diversity and connectivity data are often requested from policy makers (e.g. regional marine fisheries organisations), Marine Protected Area managers, and required by industry for Environmental Impact Assessments. These data are widely lacking for the deep sea; especially the South Atlantic. This project will provide raw data for this purpose as well as core specimens for future connectivity studies.
b) General Public - Project Website and Public Lectures and Events: Our project provides an excellent teaching opportunity for public engagement through the visually impactful imagery and footage from the deep sea. We will publicize our research through Facebook and Twitter, providing links to associated websites and our latest talks, press releases, and papers. We will continue to participate in outreach events to reach the largest possibly audience.
c) Undergraduates: We will engage undergraduate students directly in the project by enabling hands-on laboratory expertise, a passion for scientific endeavour, and a deep knowledge of the research field. Summer projects and final year projects provide a great opportunity for advisors and students to integrate education and research beyond the classroom, advance discovery and understanding, while providing training on solving scientific problems and laboratory skills. Major findings will also be posted on the Departmental Facebook pages allowing the wider undergraduate community to maintain awareness of cutting-edge research activities that are happening in their building.
d) Early career scientists: This project will enhance the career development of two early career scientists, one in Brazil (Kitahara) and one in the UK (Taylor). The project will bring a direct benefit to them through financial support, as well as providing the basis for a collaboration that has the potential to bring long term scientific benefits. Robinson will provide support and mentoring within the framework of the project and beyond.
e) Increasing Women in STEM: The proposal supports two female investigators who will continue to provide mentorship and act as role models for junior women in STEM subjects. Efforts will be made during the project to include female graduates and undergraduate students in the project through direct internships and through outreach presentations.
People |
ORCID iD |
Laura Robinson (Principal Investigator) |
Publications

Chen T
(2023)
Radiocarbon evidence for the stability of polar ocean overturning during the Holocene
in Nature Geoscience

De Carvalho Ferreira M
(2022)
Spatial and temporal distribution of cold-water corals in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean over the last 150 thousand years
in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers

Kershaw J
(2023)
Ba/Ca of stylasterid coral skeletons records dissolved seawater barium concentrations
in Chemical Geology

Liu Q
(2023)
Reinterpreting radiocarbon records in bamboo corals - New insights from the tropical North Atlantic
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Samperiz A
(2020)
Stylasterid corals: A new paleotemperature archive
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters



Stewart J
(2021)
Productivity and Dissolved Oxygen Controls on the Southern Ocean Deep-Sea Benthos During the Antarctic Cold Reversal
in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology

Stewart J
(2020)
Refining trace metal temperature proxies in cold-water scleractinian and stylasterid corals
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Stewart J
(2020)
NIST RM 8301 Boron Isotopes in Marine Carbonate (Simulated Coral and Foraminifera Solutions): Inter-laboratory d 11 B and Trace Element Ratio Value Assignment
in Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research
Description | During the award we have carried out exchange visits between labs in Brazil and the UK allowing all project partners to meet and share ideas. Bristol PhD student Maria Luiza De Carvalho Ferreira has worked with Dr Kitahara and with the museum in Rio de Janeiro to collate recordings of deep-sea corals in Brazilian waters. In particular we have discovered the existence of fossil corals from the Rio Grande Rise which are housed in the museum. These samples have now arrived in the UK (after a 2 year COVID delay) and preliminary dating has revelaed their age distribution for comparison with corals from the wider Atlantic and Southern Ocean. At the same time we have been analysing the geochemistry of modern corals to examine biomineralization patterns. We have published two papers to EPSL which show temperature controls on the stable isotope (oxygen) and trace metal (magnesium and lithium) geochemistry of certain deep-sea corals. We have submitted a follow up paper using boron isotopes to examine the role of pH and carbonate chemistry on coral calcification. We have established a new collaboration with Jaroslaw Stolarski enabling us to combine mineralogy and genetic controls on coral biomineralisation, with a paper published in PNAS in 2021 |
Exploitation Route | Our collation of information on coral distributions will be of value to habitat specialists seeking to understand the controls on coral populations, as well as researchers seeking to pan future research expeditions. Our geochemical work will provide a solid platform for understanding coral biomineralization as well as improving paleoclimate reconstructions |
Sectors | Education Environment |
Description | The data are being included in outreach talks by the team, thus our science is reaching a wide audience within the general public. In addition our research is being included in teaching materials. |
First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
Sector | Education,Environment |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Natural Environment Research Council |
Amount | £608,622 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/S001743/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2019 |
End | 01/2022 |
Title | Compilation of cold-water coral dated by U-series or radiocarbon of Northeast Atlantic Ocean |
Description | Compilation of cold-water coral dated by U-series or radiocarbon of Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Age column corresponds to reported U-series corrected ages or calendar 14C ages re-calculated. Re-calibrated 14C ages column corresponds to 14C ages calculated using CALIB8.10 software, Marine20 calibration curve, and age offset with Marine20 indicated at column "Local offset with Marine20". |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.945723 |
Title | Coral Li/Mg records of deep sea temperature during the last deglaciation |
Description | Fossil scleractinian corals were collected from the Galápagos platform in the East Equatorial Pacific (0°N, 90°E) on cruises MV1007 and NA064 from water depths between 419 and 650 m. Equatorial Atlantic corals (taxa Caryophyllia, Enallopsammia, Desmophyllum) were collected from a depth range of 749 to 2814 m during Cruise JC094 from Carter Seamount (9.2°N, 21.3°W), Knipovich Seamount (5.6°N, 26.9°W), Vema Fracture Zone (10.7°N, 44.6°W), Vayda Seamount (14.9°N, 48.2°W) and Gramberg Seamount (15.4°N, 51.1°W). Southern Ocean samples were obtained from Burdwood Bank (54.7°S, 62.2°W; taxa Caryophyllia, Balanophyllia, Flabellum, Desmophyllum) and Cape Horn (57.2°S, 67.1°W; taxa Caryophyllia, Balanophyllia, Flabellum) in the Subantarctic Zone and the Sars and Interim Seamounts in the Polar Front Zone (59.7°S, 68.8°W and 60.6°S, 66.0°W; taxa Caryophyllia, Desmophyllum) on cruises NBP0805 and NBP1103 in the Drake Passage. These proximal Sars and Interim sites are grouped as simply "Sars". The shallowest coral samples come from depths of 334 m on Burdwood Bank however the majority are from 700 to 1520 m, at water depths corresponding to modern Antarctic Intermediate Water. Corals recovered from the depth of 1012 m from Cape Horn and further south from Sars Seamount at depths of 695 to 1200 m are currently bathed in Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. Deeper samples at the Sars Seamount site sit within Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (1300 to 1750 m). We use published U-series dates for all samples (Burke and Robinson, 2012; Chen et al., 2020; Chen et al., 2015; Li et al., 2020; Margolin et al., 2014; Stewart et al., 2021). Reported age uncertainties are typically ±1% (2 SD). Whole "S1" septa and attached theca were taken from cup corals while whole calyxes were taken from branching specimens using a rotary cutting tool. This tool was further used to remove surficial oxide coatings and any chalky altered carbonate. Where sufficient sample material allowed, multiple sub-samples were measured to minimize microstructural bias (typically duplicates). Coral fragments were crushed and cleaned using warm 1% H2O2 (buffered in NH4OH) oxidative cleaning and a weak acid polish (0.0005 M HNO3). Samples were dissolved in 0.5 M HNO3 and analysed by ICP-MS to yield Li/Mg ratios. Repeat analysis of NIST RM 8301 (Coral) (n=19) yielded analytical precision of <± 1.5%. Coral Li/Mg was converted to temperature using a calibration applicable to all aragonitic corals (Li/Mg = 5.42 exp(-0.050×T(°C)); (Stewart et al., 2020). The quoted uncertainty on this calibration based on prediction intervals is ± 1.7 °C (1s). This uncertainty is significantly reduced however at extremely low temperatures close to the freezing point of seawater (~ -2 °C). Corals could not survive in frozen seawater, therefore, where proxy estimated temperature falls below this minimum a value of -2 °C is reported instead. For Li/Mg averages of each coral sample and conversion to bottom water temperature, see the xlsx version of the dataset under Further details. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.964080 |
Title | Drake passage benthic foraminiferal abundance during the last deglaciation |
Description | The Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.7 to 13 ka) phase of the last deglaciation saw a pause in the rise of atmospheric pCO2 and Antarctic temperature, contrasted with warming in the North. Mechanisms associated with interhemispheric heat transfer have been proposed to explain features of this event, but the response of marine biota and the carbon cycle are debated. The Southern Ocean is a key site of deep-water exchange with the atmosphere, hence deglacial changes in nutrient cycling, circulation, and productivity in this region may have global impact. Here we present a new perspective on the sequence of events in the deglacial Southern Ocean, that includes multi-faunal benthic assemblage (foraminifera and cold-water corals) and geochemical data (Ba/Ca, 14C, d11B) from the Drake Passage. Our records feature anomalies during peak ACR conditions indicative of circulation, biogeochemistry, and regional ecosystem perturbations. Within this cold episode, peak abundances of thick-walled benthic foraminifera and cold-water corals are observed at shallow depths in the sub-Antarctic (~300 m), while coral populations at greater depths and further south diminished. Geochemical data indicate that habitat shifts were associated with enhanced primary productivity in the sub-Antarctic, a more stratified water column, and poorly oxygenated bottom water. These results are consistent with northward migration of primary production in response to Antarctic cooling and widespread biotic turnover across the Southern Ocean. We suggest that expanding sea ice, suppressed ventilation, and shifting centres of upwelling drove changes in planktic and benthic ecology, and were collectively instrumental in halting CO2 rise in the mid-deglaciation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.924097 |
Title | Drake passage cold-water coral Ba/Ca and boron isotopes during NBP cruises NBP11-03 and NBP08-05 |
Description | The Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.7 to 13 ka) phase of the last deglaciation saw a pause in the rise of atmospheric pCO2 and Antarctic temperature, contrasted with warming in the North. Mechanisms associated with interhemispheric heat transfer have been proposed to explain features of this event, but the response of marine biota and the carbon cycle are debated. The Southern Ocean is a key site of deep-water exchange with the atmosphere, hence deglacial changes in nutrient cycling, circulation, and productivity in this region may have global impact. Here we present a new perspective on the sequence of events in the deglacial Southern Ocean, that includes multi-faunal benthic assemblage (foraminifera and cold-water corals) and geochemical data (Ba/Ca, 14C, d11B) from the Drake Passage. Our records feature anomalies during peak ACR conditions indicative of circulation, biogeochemistry, and regional ecosystem perturbations. Within this cold episode, peak abundances of thick-walled benthic foraminifera and cold-water corals are observed at shallow depths in the sub-Antarctic (~300 m), while coral populations at greater depths and further south diminished. Geochemical data indicate that habitat shifts were associated with enhanced primary productivity in the sub-Antarctic, a more stratified water column, and poorly oxygenated bottom water. These results are consistent with northward migration of primary production in response to Antarctic cooling and widespread biotic turnover across the Southern Ocean. We suggest that expanding sea ice, suppressed ventilation, and shifting centres of upwelling drove changes in planktic and benthic ecology, and were collectively instrumental in halting CO2 rise in the mid-deglaciation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.924088 |
Title | Drake passage cold-water coral ages during NBP cruises NBP11-03 and NBP08-05 |
Description | The Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR; 14.7 to 13 ka) phase of the last deglaciation saw a pause in the rise of atmospheric pCO2 and Antarctic temperature, contrasted with warming in the North. Mechanisms associated with interhemispheric heat transfer have been proposed to explain features of this event, but the response of marine biota and the carbon cycle are debated. The Southern Ocean is a key site of deep-water exchange with the atmosphere, hence deglacial changes in nutrient cycling, circulation, and productivity in this region may have global impact. Here we present a new perspective on the sequence of events in the deglacial Southern Ocean, that includes multi-faunal benthic assemblage (foraminifera and cold-water corals) and geochemical data (Ba/Ca, 14C, d11B) from the Drake Passage. Our records feature anomalies during peak ACR conditions indicative of circulation, biogeochemistry, and regional ecosystem perturbations. Within this cold episode, peak abundances of thick-walled benthic foraminifera and cold-water corals are observed at shallow depths in the sub-Antarctic (~300 m), while coral populations at greater depths and further south diminished. Geochemical data indicate that habitat shifts were associated with enhanced primary productivity in the sub-Antarctic, a more stratified water column, and poorly oxygenated bottom water. These results are consistent with northward migration of primary production in response to Antarctic cooling and widespread biotic turnover across the Southern Ocean. We suggest that expanding sea ice, suppressed ventilation, and shifting centres of upwelling drove changes in planktic and benthic ecology, and were collectively instrumental in halting CO2 rise in the mid-deglaciation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.924091 |
Title | Uranium series dated cold-water corals from Tropic Seamount, Reykjanes Ridge, and East Equatorial Atlantic |
Description | Uranium series dated cold-water corals from Tropic Seamount, Reykjanes Ridge, and East Equatorial Atlantic. Ages are reported in years before present (BP; where present is the year of 1950 CE) both uncorrected and corrected for initial 232Th. Some samples did not pass our quality control. Selection code column indicates samples not included on age distribution discussion: [238U] <2 ppm (Low U), [232Th] >6 ppb (High Th), [d234Ui] >157‰ (High dU) and lowest quality sub-sample (duplicate). |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.945279 |
Description | Coral mineralogy and biomineralisation |
Organisation | Polish Academy of Sciences |
Country | Poland |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Exchange of ideas, samples and techniques to explore biomineralisation of scleractinian corals |
Collaborator Contribution | Exchange of ideas, samples and techniques to explore biomineralisation of scleractinian corals, including detailed mapping of coral skeletons |
Impact | PNAS paper published in 2021 |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Marcelo Kitahara - Brazil |
Organisation | Federal University of São Paulo |
Country | Brazil |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | PhD student Maria Luiza De Carvalho Ferreira visited Sao Paulo to initiate the collaboration. PI Robinson will take part in a follow up visit in March 2019. We are developing new geochemical proxies which will be used by the combined team to better understand coral bio-mineralisation. Together the project team will work towards the project goals. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Kitahara is providing additional supervisory support and training to PhD student Maria Luiza De Carvalho Ferreira (Brazilian student funded by Faculty for the Future at University of Bristol). Together the project team will work towards the project goals. |
Impact | N/A - too early |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Nanjing University |
Organisation | Nanjing University (NJU) |
Country | China |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Hosting 2 Nanjing University PhD students as visiting students at Bristol. Exchange of ideas. |
Collaborator Contribution | exchange of ideas and papers |
Impact | Continued exchange of ideas and papers since Dr Tianyu Chen left his post doc at Bristol to take up a position at Nanjing University. |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | University of Essex |
Organisation | University of Essex |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | U. of Essex providing expertise in coral taxonomy and access to samples |
Collaborator Contribution | U of Bristol providing samples, access to research cruises and geochemical insights. |
Impact | The formal collaboration occurred with the start of this funding |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Herdman Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Seminar as part of the Herman Symposium organised by Undergradute Students at the University of Liverpool open to public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Primary School Talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Engagement with primary school about the deep oceans |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Public talk - Boston Aquarium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Large publich outreach talk 'The Carlson Lecture' organised by MIT at the Boston Aquarium, also live streamed and available on line. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVsv0Xn4YhQ |
Description | Talk at CEBIMAR |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Seminar at CEBIMAR, Brazil to project partners, and other reserachers at the Institution. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Videos for teaching |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Team members, and wider members of the research group at Bristol prepared short videos on their research for an undergraduate course in Oceans and Climates. These videos allowed the students to hear about the journey of PhD students, and their active research during a period (covid) when the undergraduates could not directly engage with the wider university. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |