| Summary: | There is still much unknown about the deep-sea and with increasing threats it is crucial for us to know how deep ecosystems function to improve conservation. This study focused on Paragorgia spp., otherwise known as Bubblegum corals, and their reproduction. It is thought that corals living in harsher environments have larger but fewer eggs because they invest more resources in each egg to ensure their survival. Samples from 3 different locations were used in this study, P.arborea from north-west Atlantic and Paragorgia sp., from two locations in Antarctica. Due to colder water temperatures in Antarctica, Paragorgia sp. was predicted to have larger oocytes compared to P.arborea. By using basic histology, oocytes were studied under microscope and ferret diameters could be measured. The results showed there was a significant difference in oocyte sizes from one of the Antarctic stations compared to north-west Atlantic. A comparative histological analysis of 2 different Paragorgia spp. has not been done before, so comparison in internal morphological differences was also investigated, with the primary goal of assessing whether they were the same species. The largest differences found were that P.arborea was absent of canals connecting siphonozooids (reproductive polyp) together, whereas Paragorgia sp. from the Antarctic exhibit these. Two other exciting findings were also found in Paragorgia sp. Previously oocytes could only be found in siphonozooids but there were multiple findings in autozooids (feeding polyp) on different individuals in this study. There were also multiple findings of large unknown structures in females only. These are possibly embryos, early developed larvae, or parasites. Combining all the findings from the Antarctic species, as well the oocyte size frequencies, this could possibly tell us it’s a brooder. However, this study raises more questions than answers, but it gives us some pieces of the puzzle to better understand the Bubblegum corals.
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