#Octocorals
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dsbsoc.bsky.social
Happy new week, members!

Meet another 2025 conference awardee: Severin Korfhage (@severinkorfhage.bsky.social), PhD candidate @ U. of Oldenburg & #HIFMB working on the systematics & taxonomy of #DeepSea & cold-water #octocorals spanning from the #NorthAtlantic to the #Pacific.

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“I am Severin, a PhD candidate at the University of Oldenburg and the HIFMB, in cooperation with Senckenberg am Meer in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. My scientific work focuses on the integrative systematics and taxonomy of deep sea and cold water octocorals, particularly the North Atlantic and Pacific genera Duva, Drifa, Pseudodrifa, and Gersemia." Photo1: Photo of Severin during the CoralNewZ expedition in NZ waters. "I combine classical morphology with modern sequencing approaches to reassess the diversity, evolutionary history, and species boundaries of these groups. A central focus of my research lies in the analysis of historical type material from international museums, the redescription of old types, and the resolution of long-standing taxonomic uncertainties. Many of these historical specimens are remarkably old (some exceeding 200 years in age)." Photo2: Type material of Duva florida (Rathke, 1806). "Methodologically, I work extensively with SEM-based sclerite documentation and detangling morphological characters for phylogenetic analyses. In parallel, I apply protocols for recovering molecular data from highly degraded specimens and employ shallow genome sequencing. This approach becomes particularly challenging when working with centuries-old material." Photo3: Type material of Drifa islandica Danielssen, 1887, labeled by Wilhelm Georg Kükenthal (1861–1922). "My work also includes participation in research expeditions such as the CoralNewZ expedition in the Southwest Pacific, as well as projects in the North Atlantic and the Western Indian Ocean. The overarching goal of my research is to develop a modern, robust integrative system for cold-water octocorals, uncover new species, and establish a taxonomic and phylogenetic framework that supports future biodiversity and conservation research.” Photo4: Selection of corals collected during the CoralNewZ and the CoWIO expedition.
December 2, 2025 at 12:04 AM
echinoblog.bsky.social
A recurring mystery #Okeanos encountered in the North Pacific-this weird little hydromedusae but always perched-and later FEEDING on octocorals! I think possibly undescribed? @agcollins.bsky.social is on it! Mendelssohn seamount, 1777 m or so North Pacific #saveNOAA
little red thimble like jelly on white coral with denuded branches upon which jelly may have been eating
April 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
echinoblog.bsky.social
Deep Sea Octocorals are also ecosystem engineers-their presence provides home/habitat for many other animals! This one is a serpent star, possibly Asteroschema or Ophiocreas! They live closely, staying wrapped even after death! #Okeanos Salmon Bank, 2015 dive #octocoralFriday #echinoday
pink bushy tree type coral with serpent star showing off long snake-like arms Large serpent star with elongate arms wrapped around pinkish tree like corals
November 21, 2024 at 4:55 PM
jeromeollier.bsky.social
Actus Mer/Sea News: Climate change: Independent stress response makes octocorals more robust - @LMU_Muenchen http://dlvr.it/SD3Fg0
January 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
oceancensus.bsky.social
Can you tell if a coral is “pregnant”?

We asked Ocean Census Science Network member Luisa Dueñas all about her work on deep-sea octocorals.

🔗 Find out here oceancensus.org/exploring-de...
September 4, 2025 at 9:00 AM
danigomezgras.bsky.social
... #Octocorals and their #traits are a crucial piece of the puzzle to understand how coral-dominated ecosystems function, how they are being transformed by global change, and how we can improve their management in the Anthropocene.
January 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
numenini.bsky.social
Let's start on Anilao's Cnidarian riches, 1st Octocorals or Soft Corals: top are Sclerophytum finger leather corals, below is the star polyp Briareum violaceum & Bushy Soft Rod (Rumphella aggregata). #Sclerophytum #softcoral #MarineLife #octocorals #octocoralFriday #sealife
10/25
December 4, 2024 at 10:48 AM
obialik.bsky.social
They are surprisingly barren. In other mesophotic reefs, there are some algae (red or green), octocorals, maybe some echinoderms, sponges or bryozoans... any idea why they aren't colonized?
February 7, 2025 at 12:26 PM
eurekamag.com
ICYMI: Previously recorded octocorals from Japan and adjacent seas
Previously recorded octocorals from Japan and adjacent seas
The history of the systematic studies on the octocoral fauna of the Japanese Archipelago is over 100 years old. Since Verrill's first report (1864) based on Stimpson's collection from Ryukyu, the octocoral fauna of Japanese waters has been ...
eurekamag.com
May 23, 2025 at 5:23 AM
echinoblog.bsky.social
Remembering some gorgeous octocorals from Swordfish Seamount in the Hawaiian Islands, ca 1000 m depth. PURPLE with these great Asteroschema? snake stars hanging on! From the #Okeanos CAPSTONE expedition in 2015!
September 20, 2023 at 3:10 AM
danigomezgras.bsky.social
Since 2016, the Coral Trait Database (www.coraltraits.org) has contributed to the advancement of coral reef science globally. However, data on #octocorals —key components of many coral ecosystems— was missing... until NOW. 🎉 The Octocoral Trait Database is here! 👇
rdcu.be/d6qpy
The Octocoral Trait Database: a global database of trait information for octocoral species
Scientific Data - The Octocoral Trait Database: a global database of trait information for octocoral species
rdcu.be
January 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
masonq.bsky.social
The U.S. Navy is set to commence a large-scale effort to remove invasive octocorals from Pearl Harbor, with preliminary removal activities expected to start by late October or early November.
Trending 🇺🇸 Navy’s Initiative to Remove Invasive Coral at Pearl Harbor
The U.S. Navy will begin removing invasive octocorals from Pearl Harbor, starting late October or early November. Collaborating with state and federal agencies, this initiative aims to protect the local marine ecosystem from harmful species like Unomia stolonifera and Capnella spicata, which threaten native reef-building corals.
masonq.com
November 21, 2024 at 11:13 PM
joeymaier.bsky.social
Nice write up about #ROV exploration of the #BorealisMudVolcano. Its peak is 400 m underwater in the #BarentsSea. U of Norway researchers found anemones, serpulid worms, demosponges, octocorals, wolffish, cod, four-bearded rockling, and redfish

scitechdaily.com/internationa...
International Scientists Unlock the Mysteries of a Deep-Sea Arctic Volcano
One would think that a volcano was not the most hospitable place for living organisms. However, the Borealis Mud Volcano, at 400 m water depth, acts as a sanctuary for a number of marine species. The ...
scitechdaily.com
February 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
fsantini2015.bsky.social
study found low proteome overlap between octocorals depositing different polymorphs in spite of multiple instances of shared proteins
February 18, 2025 at 11:18 PM
bdj.pensoft.net
The results from a field observation of an octocoral population in the North Aegean Sea, Greece: doi.org/10.3897/BDJ....

#octocorals #deepsea #biodiversity
August 4, 2025 at 2:40 PM
danigomezgras.bsky.social
We present the #OctocoralTraitDatabase, a global database of trait information for octocorals. The first data descriptor is now integrated with scleractinian coral data at www.coraltraits.org. It includes species- and individual-level data, along with contextual information to support analyses.
Coral Trait Database | Home
www.coraltraits.org
January 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
nsheridan.bsky.social
🌊Another #octocoralFriday garden with a mustard hill coral Porites astreoides 🪸 in the center of it all. This genetically 🧬 diverse, weedy coral is often the first to colonize disturbed areas, thanks to its hardiness. #reefmas 🧪🌎🦑
📸: me
Photo of sea fans and sea rods (octocorals) surrounding a mustard hill coral Porites astreoides from the Dry Tortugas. Photo credit: Nancy Sheridan
December 7, 2024 at 1:20 AM
bigearthdata.bsky.social
Glowing octocorals have been around for at least 540 million years – Science News | MORE at EcoSearch
Glowing octocorals have been around for at least 540 million years
April 25, 2024 at 8:22 AM
joelfishecology.bsky.social
Another day another round Of BRUV and ROV surveys in the Solitsry Islabds Marine Park! Dropped the BlueROV on some seriously awesome temperate mesophotic reefs! Black corals, octocorals, giant sponges! And of course some big fish!

#mesophotic #marineparks #rov #bruv
September 3, 2025 at 5:03 AM
restingdinoface.bsky.social
Sea creatures have been lighting up the oceans for more than half a billion years. I'll tell you more about them at Smithsonian. Hooray for octocorals!
Glowing Sea Creatures Have Been Lighting Up the Oceans for More Than Half a Billion Years
New research on branching animals known as octocorals pushes the early days of bioluminescence back over 200 million years
www.smithsonianmag.com
April 24, 2024 at 4:28 PM
hanjiplier.bsky.social
"whats ur name?" did you know the phyllodesmium genus of sea slugs are often known for incredible mimicry of their prey species, which are a type of soft coral called octocorals
November 13, 2025 at 12:33 PM
whysharksmatter.bsky.social
Lethal and sublethal effects of thermal stress on octocorals early life history stages https://buff.ly/3UeKNvv
November 22, 2024 at 6:56 AM
nsheridan.bsky.social
🌊 An Underwater Garden! 🪸✨Gorgonians and sea fans sway, and fire coral resides among them (above the purple sea fan). Fire coral isn’t true coral but a 🪼 relative, with a genome 🧬 that shows its resilience and adaptability to environmental change. #octocoralFriday 🦑
📸 credit: me
Photo of octocorals with fire coral among them at a site in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. Photo credit: Nancy Sheridan
November 30, 2024 at 11:37 PM
molbioevol.bsky.social
@emilylau.bsky.social @ostratodd.bsky.social et al. show that bioluminescent luciferases in brittle stars and octocorals evolved in parallel from haloalkane dehalogenases, highlighting how gene function and genomic availability shape convergent evolution.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molb...

#evolbio #molbio
Functional Characterization of Luciferase in a Brittle Star Indicates Parallel Evolution Influenced by Genomic Availability of Haloalkane Dehalogenase
Abstract. Determining why convergent traits use distinct versus shared genetic components is crucial for understanding how evolutionary processes generate
doi.org
May 9, 2025 at 10:10 AM
globalchangebio.bsky.social
NEW
Recurrent Extreme Climatic Events Are Driving Gorgonian Populations to Local Extinction: Low Adaptive Potential to #MarineHeatwaves

📄 https://buff.ly/4iWWbIP
#extremeclimate #octocorals
December 20, 2024 at 2:51 PM