mesophotic coral ecosystems
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Most ocean enthusiasts are familiar with shallow coral reefs: colorful ecosystems teeming with life that support more species than any other marine environment. But what many people don’t know is that these reefs can extend to depths of over 500 feet. These deeper reefs...

![This stony coral, Galaxea fascicularis, was photographed at 151 feet off Tutuila, American Samoa. [photo: Anthony Montgomery, under Creative Commons License] Stony coral, Galaxea fascicularis,](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/stony_coral.jpg?itok=9qN13Co5)