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Fig. 9: Locations of the healthy deep coral communities as described by Bussoletti et al., 2010;
Freiwald et al., 2009; Martorelli et al., 2011; Scembri et al., 2007; Taviani et al., 2011; Zibrowius and

Taviani, 2005

The deep-water corals habitats are rich in species diversity, in fact a total of 51 benthic
species, among them poriferans, cnidarians, brachiopods, mollusks, polychaetes,
crustaceans, and echinoderms, have been recorded, where the deep-water corals are
located in the above mentioned three main areas (Zibrowius & Taviani 2005; Schembri et al.
2007; Freiwald et al. 2009). Overall, coral habitats support or share the environment with
other deep-sea macrofauna among which the large limids (Acesta excavata) and giant
oysters (Neopycnodonte zibrowii). Live and dead colonies of Madrepora and Lophelia can
support epibionts such as hydroids, Spondylus gussonii, serpulids, the solitary coral
Desmophyllum dianthus, the barnacle Pachylasma giganteum, while the bivalve Asperarca

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