Specimen of Dendrophyllia cf. ramea.
Collection of Dendrophyllia samples with the mechanical arm of the
MAX ROV.
Digital Terrain Model of the surveyed area.
© C. Jimenez - Enalia Physis
Map of distribution of cold and warm water corals.
Research vessel Aegaeo.
© Hugo Ahlenius, UNEP/GRID-Arendal
© HCMR
© CYCLAMEN
Cold-water corals may exist as solitary individuals
but can also form large communities and reefs, just like
warm-water corals do. These cold-water corals differ in
two main aspects to their tropical relatives: they do not
host symbiotic algae in their tissue; hence their nutri-
tion relies completely in zooplankton and small organic
particles trapped using their tentacles (heterotrophy).
Evolution has driven them to adapting their physiology
in such a way as to be able to cope with deep and
colder waters than their tropical and temperate cous-
ins.
What are cold-water corals?
Cold-water corals are animals, close relatives to the
well-known tropical corals from the warm and shallow
waters of the world’s oceans.
Where do cold-water corals live?
Cold-water corals are distributed in all of the world’s
oceans, inhabiting the deep and dim-lighted seafloor.
These tough corals have been found in total darkness
as deep as 6000m with some extreme species thriving
in temperatures as cold as -1ºC.
In Cyprus, important cold-water coral communities
have been found for the first time, during the CYCLA-
MEN project exploration in June 2015, in waters off
Protaras, at 120-140m depth.
How can cold-water corals be
investigated?
The remote depths inhabited by these corals
require special research methods. One of the first
aspects needed, in order to explore them, is the
geomorphology of the area so as to visualise the
seafloor topography. This can be through remote sens-
ing techniques to produce a three-dimensional image
of the sea-scape.
Furthermore, since corals are vulnerable species,
the use of non-destructive sampling methods such as
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), which allows us to
record video images of the corals in their natural habi-
tat, is preferred. Manipulators on the ROVs allow the
selective collection of samples, which can be used for
several studies in order to learn more about the biology
and ecology of the organisms.
Why it is important to investigate cold-wa-
ter corals?
Corals are some of the most important habi-
tat-building species in the sea. They play a similar role
as trees do in terrestrial ecosystems, offering three-di-
mensional spaces to be occupied by a myriad of other
species, among them some of the fishes and crusta-
ceans we have in our menus. The marine ecosystems
dominated by these corals are considered hot spots of
biodiversity.
Coral reefs: warm water cold water

Anthropogenic impacts: rubbish and amphorae on the seafloor.
Live specimens of Dendrophyllia cf. ramea at Ocean aquarium, Protaras.
© L. Hadjioannou – Enalia Physis
© L. Hadjioannou – Enalia Physis
© CYCLAMEN
Threats to cold-water corals.
Human activities take place everywhere, from the
shallow to the deeper areas of the oceans. Cold-water
coral habitats do not escape from the impact of
humans. The most significant anthropogenic threats to
them are fishing activities with the highest impact
made by deep-bottom trawling, which completely
destroys communities dominated by these fragile
organisms, as well as bottom long-line fishing. At the
deep-water coral communities off Protaras, the most
frequent companion to the corals was rubbish. Corals
and other organisms were occasionally tangled on relic
fishing gear, plastic bags, car tires and other un-identi-
fied debris.
In addition, the rapid climatic changes we are expe-
riencing in the last decades, resulting in the warming of
the oceans are undoubtedly affecting marine life,
including cold-water corals. It is doubtful whether such
corals will survive the sudden and prolonged rises in
their ambient temperatures, which are being predicted.
Participating organizations:
Funded by:
About the project:
The Cold-water corals of Cyprus: Environmental
settings and ecological features (CYprus Cold-corals
Levantine SeA, Eastern MEditerraneaN: CYCLA-
MEN), funded by the TOTAL Foundation,
commenced in December of 2014.
Within the framework of the two-year project,
CYCLAMEN will conduct a detailed study of deep
coral communities in Cypriot waters, the first of its
kind in the eastern Mediterranean. The research will
include the environmental characterization of the
area, as well as the study of the spatial distribution of
deep coral communities. In addition to the study of
the biology of the coral species, genetic studies will
be included, as well as their responses to environ-
mental changes through ecophysiological examina-
tions. This project’s subject is pioneering for Cyprus
and will have an associated scientific outreach
programme in order to bring these ecosystems, still
much unknown, to the general public.
Cold - water corals
of Cyprus:
Environmental settings
and ecological features