May 15, 2018 - NOAA scientists discovered this hidden forest of bamboo coral 7,500 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico. Bamboo coral is common in deep waters, and this colony could be nearly a thousand years old. They can grow on steep cliff sides and use their fans to catch food that floats by. The researchers were surprised to find them so densely grouped together.
Click here to read This 'Secret Garden' of Coral May Be 1,000 Years Old.