Scientists are relocating decades-old coral colonies from decommissioned North Sea oil platforms to artificial reefs west of Shetland, in a bid to restore historic habitats and safeguard marine life. A remotely-operated robot dislodged the coral from the rig where it fell into a basket. Credit: The University of Edinburgh Corals are massively important for the ecosystem as they are like the cities of the deep sea Murray Roberts, Professor of Applied Marine Biology & Ecology The University of Edinburgh For roughly half a century, deep-sea corals have quietly colonised the steel legs of offshore platforms. As these structures enter decommissioning, researchers and industry have stepped in to find these corals a new home and use them to jump-start reef recovery in degraded habitats. Historically, extensive coral areas flourished in the Northeast Atlantic, supporting biodiversity and as nursery grounds for commercial species. However, these habitats have been withered by decades of seabed disturbance, especially bottom trawling, destroying the very places where corals once thrived.The team’s goal is to bring corals back to one of these areas west of Shetland, using living colonies that have grown on the oil platform legs, some reaching impressive sizes after 50 years undisturbed. Relocating deep-sea corals Relocating deep-sea corals is a delicate operation. Working with offshore crews, the team carefully removed colonies from platform legs, catching placing them in boxes and bringing them to the surface. They were then placed into “coral hotels” to reduce stress and transported to St Abbs Marine Station for short-term care and assessment.In recent weeks, the corals were transferred onto purpose-built artificial reef units and deployed within the Faroe-Shetland Channel Marine Protected Area. Once in place, they will grow and act as living ‘seed stock’ that researchers hope will naturally reseed surrounding areas. Climate refuges for corals The restoration effort has focused on areas that are expected to act as climate refuges for cold-water corals. This is critical because deep Atlantic populations are increasingly threatened by climate change impacts, including ocean warming, acidification and declining food supply. In contrast, the shallower populations, such as those west of Shetland or on North Sea oil rigs, are thought to have a greater chance of surviving longer in future ocean conditions. By transplanting these colonies into refugial sites, the project aims to give corals the best possible opportunity to persist and to sustain the ecosystems that depend on them.Even so, the team argues that stronger safeguards will be needed to protect not only the corals but also other life such as deep-sea sponges, which can flourish on complex reef structures. A model for restoration By turning decommissioning into an ecological opportunity, the project aims to pioneer a practical model for restoring deep-sea habitats in heavily industrialised waters. If successful, these transplanted colonies could accelerate the recovery of reefs that once lined the seabed west of Shetland and, in time, rebuild the “cities of the deep sea” that sustain the wider marine ecosystem. Read more Corals growing on North Sea oil rigs rehomed on artificial reef | BBC News Research profile View Professor Murray Roberts Research Profile Publication date 16 Sep, 2025
