Roberts J Murray, Wheeler Andrew J, Freiwald André
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, UK.
Science. 2006 Apr 28;312(5773):543-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1119861.
Coral reefs are generally associated with shallow tropical seas; however, recent deep-ocean exploration using advanced acoustics and submersibles has revealed unexpectedly widespread and diverse coral ecosystems in deep waters on continental shelves, slopes, seamounts, and ridge systems around the world. Advances reviewed here include the use of corals as paleoclimatic archives and their biogeological functioning, biodiversity, and biogeography. Threats to these fragile, long-lived, and rich ecosystems are mounting: The impacts of deep-water trawling are already widespread, and effects of ocean acidification are potentially devastating.
珊瑚礁通常与热带浅海相关联；然而，最近利用先进声学技术和潜水器进行的深海勘探发现，在世界各地大陆架、斜坡、海山和海岭系统的深水中，存在着出人意料地广泛且多样的珊瑚生态系统。本文所综述的进展包括将珊瑚用作古气候档案以及它们的生物地质功能、生物多样性和生物地理学。对这些脆弱、长寿且丰富的生态系统的威胁正在增加：深水拖网捕捞的影响已经很普遍，而海洋酸化的影响可能具有毁灭性。
