By Maria Frostic

For many, the vibrant world of coral reefs conjures images of sun-drenched shallows teeming with colorful fish. But beneath the surface, beyond recreational diving limits, lies another realm of coral ecosystems: mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs). These “twilight zone” reefs, found between 30 and 150 meters deep, constitute a significant portion of reef habitat globally, yet remain largely unexplored due to the technical challenges of studying them.

Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) PhD student Carlos Tramonte is venturing into this underwater frontier in American Samoa as part of the Deep Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (Deep-CRES) project. Equipped with specialized technical rebreathing apparatuses, Carlos and his team are diving deep to unravel the mysteries of these understudied environments. His research focuses on the fundamental differences between shallow and deep reefs, aiming to understand how biodiversity shifts with depth and across different geographic locations within American Samoa.

“American Samoa’s reef area is nearly 80% mesophotic,” Carlos explains. “We know so little about them compared to shallow reefs. The Deep-CRES project is providing a unique opportunity to access these depths and collect crucial data.”

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