@mbari_news: Moment of zen brought to you by the cutest cup corals 🧡⁠ ⁠ These tiny cup corals in the Caryophylliidae family were captured on camera at Portuguese Ledge in Monterey Bay. Whereas reef-building corals form large colonies, these cup corals make their own individual outer skeletons. Once a cup coral larva finds their permanent location on the rocky seafloor, they cement that limestone skeleton to the substrate and stay there for life. ⁠ ⁠ The Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area is about four miles offshore in Monterey Bay. This area has the greatest depth range of any marine protected area in California, ranging from 90 to nearly 1,500 meters (300 to 4,800 feet). #DeepSea #DeepOcean #MBARI #MomentOfZen

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Friday 14 November 2025 00:22:45 GMT