 Globally, five major taxonomic groups of deep-water corals (DWCs) have been identified (Cimberg et al. 1981), including: Alcyonacea (soft corals), Gorgonacea (sea fans, bamboo corals, and tree corals), Scleractinia (cup corals, stony corals, or true corals), Stylasterina (hydrocorals), and Antipatharia (black corals), many which appear to be concentrated in the northern latitudes. Along the eastern coast of North America , 35 species of DWCs are believed to exist.
Current student projects include: (1) molecular analyses of deep-water coral that exist as "forests/thickets" to determine if cryptic taxa exist. Further, a comparative data set of Paragorgia and Primnoa from different localities and depth ranges are being established; (2) bioluminescence of deep-water corals is currently being examined; (3) compounds isolated from ocean invertebrates are structurally unique often showing pronounced activities. Currently we are examining metabolites from deep-water coral organisms to determine if any chemicals are used to deter predation and/or to attract prey.
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