A team of federal and state marine scientists have conducted the first in depth exploration of areas north of Bodega Head off the California coast. The team used submersibles and other technologies to capture images of marine life living in waters up to 1,000 feet deep.

The investigation focused primarily on the head waters of the Bodega Canyon and an oval canyon known as “the Football”. These areas were thought to be nutrient rick and to contain a broad diversity of life, however very little was known for sure. The investigation revealed two significant discoveries.

The first of these was the presence of skate nurseries in the same area as catshark nurseries.

“This is a highly unusual nursery because rarely, if ever, are shark nurseries in the same area as skate nurseries,” said Peter Etnoyer, a deep-sea biologist at NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in a statement.

Researchers also discovered a new species of deep sea coral, living at a depth of about 600 feet. The new coral belongs to the Leptlgorgia genus.

“Deep-sea corals and sponges provide valuable refuge for fish and other marine life. Data on these life forms helps determine the extent and ecological importance of deep-sea communities and the threats they face. Effective management of these ecosystems requires science-based information on their condition,” said Maria Brown, Farallones sanctuary superintendent.

The team also gathered video surveys of areas that were previously only mapped by sonar. While scientists now have detailed maps of the Martian surface, new discoveries about what lies beneath the Earth’s oceans are being made on a regular basis. Last month the discovery of thousands of previously unknown deep sea mountains was documented in the journal Science.

“Surveys of the seafloor in these waters reveal an abundance and diversity of life in new habitats. This work helps inform our knowledge and understanding of the deep sea ecosystems north of Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones national marine sanctuaries, areas that are extremely important to the ocean environment,” said Danielle Lipski, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary research coordinator and expedition leader.