Distinct from their warm-water relatives, cold-water corals occur in all oceans, at all latitudes, in dark, cold, nutrient-rich waters. Although their growth rate is slower, the coverage of deep-water corals may equal or even exceed that of tropical corals.

There are large gaps in our knowledge of cold-water corals. But we know they are ecologically important, providing habitat, feeding grounds, and recruitment and nursery functions for many cold-water organisms including commercially-targeted fish. Their full socio-economic value is also largely unknown, but the evidence points to their importance for local fisheries, both coastal and in deep waters.