The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs noted the location of the different types of coral around the reef and in the lagoon. In his diary, he described, "examining the very interesting yet simple structure & origin of these islands. The water being unusually smooth, I waded in as far as the living mounds of coral on which the swell of the open sea breaks. In some of the gullies & hollows, there were beautiful green & other colored fishes, & the forms & tints of many of the Zoophites were admirable. It is excusable to grow enthusiastic over the infinite numbers of organic beings with which
Deep-water coral off Africa’s west coast. In addition to ocean bottoms, scientists find "Lophelia" colonies on North Sea oil installations, although oil and gas production may introduce noxious substances into the local environment. The world's largest known deep-water "Lophelia" coral complex is the Røst Reef. It lies between deep, west of Røst island in the Lofoten archipelago, in Norway, inside the Arctic Circle. Discovered during a routine survey in May 2002, the reef is still largely intact. It is approximately long by wide. Some further south is the Sula Reef, located on the Sula Ridge, west of Trondheim on the mid-Norwegian Shelf,