The research, recently published in the scientific journal *Progress in Oceanography* and drawing on more than 6,500 records of the presence and absence of these organisms at 144 sites – obtained from various sources over more than two decades through scientific diving, towed cameras and remotely operated vehicles – reveals which environmental factors govern their distribution around the islands
The study demonstrates that depth, substrate type, seabed slope, currents and the geographical position of the islands are key factors in explaining where these vulnerable marine ecosystems occur
A study by the Biodiversity and Conservation Group (BIOCON) at the ECOAQUA University Institute of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), recently published in the scientific journal ‘Progress in Oceanography’, has identified the main environmental and geomorphological factors governing the distribution of black corals in the Canary Islands archipelago and on nearby seamounts, thereby producing the first comprehensive map of their location.
The research confirms that these organisms, capable of forming veritable animal forests in mesophotic and deep-sea zones, are not distributed at random, but rather respond to a combination of variables such as depth, seabed type, underwater slope, current velocity and location within the Canary Islands’ insular gradient.
The study confirms that the distribution of black corals varies across the different island groups. The eastern and central islands showed a higher frequency of certain species compared with the western islands, reflecting the influence of the archipelago’s oceanographic and geomorphological gradient.
Black coral forest at Playa Chica, 60 m deep (Lanzarote). Source: Franck Gazzola – Under The Pole.
The study compiles data gathered from various sources over more than two decades through scientific diving, towed cameras and remotely operated vehicles, enabling the collection of more than 6,500 records of the presence and absence of black corals at 144 sites, ranging from shallow waters to depths of almost 1,000 metres.
The research was led by scientists from the ECOAQUA Institute at the ULPGC, in collaboration with Oceana, the Natural History Museum of Tournai (Belgium), the LECOB institute at the Banyuls-sur-Mer Oceanographic Observatory (France), the University of Genoa (Italy), the Under The Pole consortium (France) and other international specialists.
Forests hidden between light and darkness
Black corals, also known as antipatharians, are colonial organisms related to anemones and jellyfish, characterised by a dark, flexible and spiny skeleton. Although little known to the general public, they play a fundamental ecological role as ecosystem engineers, as their three-dimensional structures provide shelter, food and breeding grounds for numerous marine species.
The study identified eleven taxa of black corals belonging to six families, confirming the high diversity of these organisms in the Canary Islands and reinforcing the archipelago’s role as a key hub of marine biodiversity between the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.
Black coral forest in the Mar de las Calmas at a depth of 130 m (El Hierro). Source: Oceana.
According to Professor Francisco Otero-Ferrer of the ULPGC, a researcher with ECOAQUA’s BIOCON group and the study’s principal investigator, “this work allows us to better understand why some species of black coral appear at certain depths or on certain types of seabed, whilst others inhabit completely different environments. It is not enough simply to know where they are: we need to understand what conditions make their presence possible”.
Depth and seabed type: decisive factors
The results show that depth and seabed type are the main factors determining the distribution of the most common species. Antipathella wollastoni and Antipathes furcata, for example, were mainly associated with hard seabeds in mesophotic environments, at depths of between 30 and 200 metres. In contrast, other groups such as Parantipathes spp. were more common in bathyal zones, below 200 metres.
The study also reveals that some species have a very wide vertical distribution. This is the case for Stichopathes spp. and Leiopathes sp., which were recorded from relatively shallow areas to deep-sea environments, demonstrating a great ability to occupy different habitats.
Black coral forest in the Mar de las Calmas at a depth of 130 m (El Hierro). Source: Oceana.
“The Canary Islands act as an exceptional natural laboratory,” explains Otero-Ferrer. “Within a few hundred kilometres, we find both ancient and young islands, broad island platforms and steep seabeds, areas influenced by the African upwelling and more oceanic regions. This combination creates an enormous variety of habitats for black corals.”
Currents, slopes and insular uniqueness
In addition to depth and substrate, the study shows that hydrodynamics and seabed morphology have a significant influence on the presence of these corals. Horizontal currents favoured the presence of some deep-water taxa, such as Parantipathes spp., whilst other species showed different responses to vertical water velocity or seabed slope.
These results suggest that black corals depend on a delicate balance between substrate availability, exposure to currents, food transport and habitat stability. In many areas of the archipelago, canyons, slopes, shoals and seamounts create local conditions that favour accelerated currents and the supply of food particles, creating suitable environments for the development of these animal-formed forests.
Key conservation information
Black corals are long-lived, slow-growing organisms with fragile structures, making them particularly vulnerable to impacts such as bottom trawling, marine litter, seabed mining, illegal harvesting or any activity that disturbs the seabed. Although many of these habitats are found at depths that are difficult to access, their conservation requires accurate information on their distribution and the factors that explain their presence.
The study provides an essential scientific basis for improving the management of these vulnerable ecosystems, particularly in the context of marine spatial planning, impact assessment and the design of future conservation measures.
“Understanding the factors that govern the distribution of black corals helps us predict where these habitats might be found, even in areas that remain largely unexplored,” emphasises Otero-Ferrer. “This information is vital for anticipating conflicts with human activities and for protecting ecosystems which, although hidden at great depths, fulfil essential ecological functions.”
Black coral forest on a seamount south of the Canary Islands at a depth of 900 m (Bimbache). Source: Oceana
Beyond its regional significance, this research positions the Canary Islands as a strategic location for the global study of marine animal forests. The combination of volcanic islands, seamounts, depth gradients and contrasting oceanographic conditions makes the archipelago an ideal setting for understanding how these ecosystems are structured in the eastern Atlantic.
With this latest development, ECOAQUA continues to expand our knowledge of the Canary Islands’ black coral forests, providing key information for their identification, management and long-term conservation.
This research has been partially funded by the European OCEAN CITIZEN project and by the BNP PARIBAS Foundation’s ‘Climate change and biodiversity’ initiative through the DEEP LIFE project.
The scientific team would like to thank the Canary Islands Marine Environment Observers’ Network (RedPROMAR) of the Canary Islands Government (https://redpromar.org/home) for providing the data, and B. Palacios Castillo for his contribution to the design of the icons for certain black coral taxa (https://palaciosdelcastillo.com/).
Via the following link (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2026.103791), you can access the scientific article entitled ‘Environmental and geomorphological drivers of the distribution of black corals across an oceanic archipelago and adjacent seamounts in the eastern Atlantic. Progress in Oceanography 247, 103791’, authored by: Otero-Ferrer, F., Aguilar, R., Terrana, L., Bramanti, L., Bo, M., Deriu, D., Espino, F., Bosch, N.E., Gobbi, S., Under The Pole Consortium, García-Mendoza, A., Haroun, R., Machín, F., Tuya, F., Navarro-Mayoral, S., 2026.
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