Abstract

Mesophotic reefs constructed by familiar corals, Montastrea spp. and Agaricia spp.,are inhabited by many species of fish, shellfish and invertebrates from shallow water reefs. Their isolation from near surface impacts makes them a reservoir of biodiversity for repopulating severely impacted shallow reefs. In the tropical north Atlantic (TNA) mesophotic reefs occur on steep slopes, terraces and bank tops at depths of 30 - 80 m. The steep slopes are the most extensive; a first estimate of their linear extent in the Caribbean and Bahama Banks is 24,200 km. If only part of this zone is colonized, the extent of mesophotic reefs may rival that of shallow reefs. In addition, luxurious mesophotic communities occur on terraces and banks: Flower Garden Banks, Sherwood Forrest, Dry Tortugas, Pulley Ridge, and Lang Bank, Virgin Islands. More mesophotic reefs may await discovery on Pedro Bank, Nicaragua Rise and Florida’s southern shelf. Rebreathers, remote sensing, and research submersibles provide essential tools to explore the largely unknown mesophotic reefs. The results can provide the much needed inventory of their distribution, their inhabitants and resources and their connectivity with shallow reefs.

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