Scientists discover 85 miles of deep-sea coral reef off Atlantic Coast

A deep sea coral reef was discovered 160 miles off Charleston by the RV Atlantis using the submersible Alvin. The exploration, conducted on August 23rd and 24th, revealed large populations of Lophelia pertussa coral. The reef is located 16 miles northwest of a previously discovered coral area by the NOAA RV Okianos Explorer. The combined coral-covered area spans approximately 85 miles.

Where was the deep sea coral reef discovered by the Atlantis located?

• 100 miles off the coast of New York, NY

• 50 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, CA

• 160 miles off the coast of Charleston, SC

• 200 miles off the coast of Miami, FL

What is the name of the submersible used to discover the coral reef?

• Poseidon

• Titan

• Alvin

• Nautilus

Which type of coral was predominantly found during the exploration?

• Porites porites

• Montipora digitata

• Lophelia pertussa

• Acropora cervicornis

How far were the corals found by Atlantis from those found by Okianos earlier in the summer?

• 10 miles to the southeast

• 16 miles to the northwest

• 5 miles to the southwest

• 20 miles to the northeast

What is the estimated length of the coral-covered area explored by both Okianos and Atlantis?

• 100 miles

• 50 miles

• 70 miles

• 85 miles