The distribution of the scleractinian coral<i>Lophelia pertusa</i>around the Faroe islands and the relation to internal tidal mixing

Abstract

Abstract A list of 138 positions with records of Lophelia pertusa is compiled from all published and unpublished investigations in the area including material from the BIOFAR research programme. In addition, Solenosmilia variabilis, another species of branching coral new to the area is reported. The Lophelia records are from areas that are dominated by the northeastern Atlantic water (NEA W) and in depths from 200 to c. 1000 m. The highest abundance of Lophelia tends to be in the depth range where the bottom slope is critical to internal waves of semidiurnal frequency. The causal link behind this is suggested to be an increase of food availability either through higher primary production at the surface or by a redistribution of suspended particles in the bottom mixed layer.