Diepwater-riffen in het vroege Paleoceen van Denemarken

In coral reefs, we quickly think of the multicolored examples from the shallow, warm oceans and seas in the tropical and subtropical regions. And rightly so, because a large part of the biodiversity of the oceans can be found in and around these reefs. Snorkeling often surrounded by fish and other animals over these corals is an experience to remember. Much less known are deep-water coral reefs, which are found both in the tropics and in the Arctic Circle (Roberts et al., 2006). Especially in the Caribbean and in the NE Atlantic many examples are known. The corals here are colorless because dinoflagellate symbiosis causing the color is not possible without sunlight. Although these reefs grow more slowly, they do provide temporary or permanent shelter to many other organisms. Thus, these reefs are important for biodiversity centers in the deeper parts of the ocean. Such reefs are also found in the fossil record.