Scientists have found evidence of "dramatic" damage to deep-sea coral near the site of the Gulf oil disaster that one biologist called a shocking find that "slapped you in the face."
"This was the first time that anyone has seen a visually compelling indication of impact to deep sea animals in the vicinity of this deep-sea event," said Charles Fisher, a Penn State University biologist and the leader of a government-funded research expedition.
The research team encountered an apparently "unhealthy" colony of Madrepora - a hard coral species - on November 2 at a depth of 1,400 meters. While some in the coral colony appeared normal, others were covered in a "brown material" and were producing "abundant mucous," he said.
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