New Bubblegum Coral Species Discovered in Pacific Ocean
Researchers identified a coral species that employs an internal chitin-based framework to withstand deep-sea currents.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Botany
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Scientists have discovered a new species of bubblegum coral, named Paragorgia quitinosa, living at depths of nearly 2,200 feet along the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean. This finding identifies a unique structural adaptation that allows the coral to maintain its form in high-pressure, deep-water environments.
Why it matters
The identification of a chitin-based internal scaffold in deep-sea corals reveals how these organisms maintain structural integrity in strong currents. This research provides new insight into the biological mechanisms that allow corals to thrive in extreme, high-pressure habitats.
Paragorgia quitinosa utilizes an internal canal network with walls composed of beta-chitin, a durable structural polymer. This internal framework functions alongside calcified sclerites—microscopic calcium carbonate elements—that provide localized stiffness to the coral's structure.
The players
SuBastian
A remotely operated vehicle used by researchers to collect biological specimens from the seafloor.
The details
The coral maintains its upright shape by using small siphonozoid polyps—specialized organisms within the coral colony—to force seawater through internal channels, creating fluid pressure. This hydrostatic mechanism, reinforced by a rigid chitin framework, allows the organism to remain perpendicular to the seafloor in strong deep-water currents. Chemical analysis and spectroscopy confirmed the presence of chitin, which acts as the core material for this structural scaffolding.
Timeline
The scientific study regarding Paragorgia quitinosa was published in 2026.
The Tech Race
The discovery of Paragorgia quitinosa adds a new data point to the ongoing biodiversity mapping of the Nazca Ridge. This finding updates the current understanding of deep-sea biological structural diversity compared to prior surveys of Pacific Ocean coral habitats.
This discovery primarily serves the scientific and academic communities focused on deep-sea biology and structural engineering. There are no immediate commercial applications or consumer products resulting from this research at this time.
The takeaway
The study demonstrates that deep-sea corals have evolved sophisticated hydrostatic and material-based scaffolding to survive extreme current conditions. Observers should track future taxonomic surveys of the Nazca Ridge to see if similar beta-chitin structures are found in other deep-sea octocorals.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest research in Botany regarding deep-sea organism structural adaptations.
More information
View the full scientific research study for detailed chemical analysis.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ecoportal.
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