BDN, MPBN Interview Waller About Gulf of Maine Coral Discovery
The Bangor Daily News and Maine Public Broadcasting Network spoke with Rhian Waller, an associate research professor at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences, for an article about scientists discovering “spectacular” formations of deep sea corals in the Gulf of Maine. Waller was part of a team of researchers that used a remotely controlled submersible vehicle this summer to find “dense hanging gardens” of coral in the Schoodic Ridges region of the Gulf, according to the article. “It was a great find for us,” Waller told the BDN. “We did not expect to find such large colonies.” She said documenting the extent and location of coral is scientifically important because coral often serves as habitat for other marine species that are environmentally and economically significant. Saving Seafood also carried the BDN report.