Scientists surveying rugged underwater mountains off the coast of Costa Rica have made a remarkable and unexpected discovery in the pitch-black depths of the Pacific Ocean: a stunning new species of coral that is so physically and genetically distinct from any known group that researchers had to create an entirely new scientific family to properly classify it.
The vibrant yellow coral, characterized by a striking branching, tree-like architecture, was initially documented at depths ranging between 360 and 529 meters below the ocean’s surface. Ranging upward in height with some mature colonies growing more than a meter tall, the specimens were carefully gathered by researchers utilizing the advanced remotely operated vehicle SuBastian. These groundbreaking expeditions took place in 2019 and 2023 aboard the advanced research vessels Falkor and Falkor (too), both of which are operated by the prominent Schmidt Ocean Institute. The scientific voyages focused on exploring uncharted seamounts located near Isla del Coco and stretching along Costa Rica’s active Pacific margin.
The findings from these deep-sea explorations have been officially detailed in a comprehensive report published in the open-access scientific journal ZooKeys, shedding fresh light on the biodiversity hidden beneath the waves and proving just how much of the deep ocean remains completely unmapped and poorly understood by humanity.
A Golden Coral Among Fields of Stars
During the deep-sea dives, researchers noted that the newly discovered coral was particularly abundant on rocky outcrops where dense carpets of brittle stars covered nearly every available surface of the seafloor. Against this shimmering, star-like backdrop, the bright yellow branches of the coral appeared to rise dynamically from the dark ocean floor like glowing trees surrounded by a constellation of stars.
This unusual and breathtaking scene deeply inspired the researchers when the time came to assign scientific classifications to the organism. The newly established genus has been named Laurinque, a term derived from "Laurinquë," which translates directly to "golden tree" in Quenya, the sophisticated Elvish language famously invented by renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien for his legendary mythologies, including The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The research team selected this specific moniker because of the coral’s vivid, glowing yellow coloration and its distinctive, arboreal structure.
Complementing the genus, the species name elenya was chosen, which translates to "stellar" or "of the stars" in Quenya. This poetic choice directly references the dense, sprawling populations of brittle stars that persistently blanket the substrate immediately surrounding the coral colonies. Together, the chosen genus and species names combine to reflect what the marine scientists described as an almost mystical, Tolkien-esque landscape situated quietly on the deep ocean floor far beyond the reach of normal sunlight.
DNA Reveals a New Coral Family
While finding a visually striking organism in the deep sea is always a major victory for marine biologists, determining precisely where this particular coral fit onto the complex evolutionary family tree of marine life proved to be far more complicated and confounding than the research team initially expected.
In the early stages of analysis, scientists sequenced three standard genes that are commonly relied upon by researchers to accurately identify and classify different types of corals. However, instead of pointing consistently toward a single established group or family, each of the three genes pointed toward a completely different and entirely unrelated family of corals.
Because those initial molecular results were unusually inconsistent and contradictory, the researchers realized they needed a much more robust analytical approach. They turned to phylogenomics—an advanced scientific method that allows researchers to compare hundreds of genes simultaneously rather than looking at just a few isolated markers. This broad, high-resolution genetic analysis finally managed to cut through the confusion and clarify the coral’s true evolutionary position.
The comprehensive genetic data ultimately revealed that the species does not belong to any previously recognized coral family known to science. Instead, it represents a completely distinct evolutionary lineage. While it is found to be most closely related to the existing family Eunicellidae, its underlying genetics and internal anatomy differ heavily and significantly enough to fully justify the creation of an entirely new family, which has been designated as Laurinqueidae. Alongside this major taxonomic update, researchers also formally established the new genus Laurinque specifically to house this unique species.
Dr. Odalisca Breedy of the Universidad de Costa Rica, who served as the lead researcher on the scientific study, reflected on the long journey of discovery.
"I saw the octocoral garden for the first time in 2019 and I was impressed by the beauty of the landscape, which inspired, later the elvish name of the taxa," Dr. Breedy said. "I thought the species could belong to a known family and genera, but after the preliminar morphological analysis I realised that it was something very different that I could not match with the known taxa."
Dr. Breedy noted how the puzzle was finally solved years later. "In 2023 we collected more samples and thanks to the exhaustive molecular analyses made by my colleagues, Cathy McFadden, Catalina Murillo and Andrea Quattrini, we were able to determine the taxonomic placement of the stunning species, in one of the most enigmatic sites."
Costa Rica’s Deep Sea Still Holds Surprises
Dr. Breedy led the successful research initiative alongside a dedicated international team of scientific collaborators. The expeditions were made possible through the crucial operational and logistical support of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, in addition to a vital research grant provided by the National Geographic Society.
This exciting new taxonomic addition joins a rapidly growing catalog of previously undocumented species that have been discovered during recent surveys of Costa Rica’s underwater seamounts. The find serves as a powerful reminder of how much of Earth’s deep ocean remains poorly explored and heavily veiled in mystery, despite the fact that deep-sea environments cover roughly two-thirds of the entire surface of the planet.
Marine conservationists and scientists point out that deep-sea coral gardens like the one discovered off Costa Rica are widely considered to be highly vulnerable marine ecosystems. The intricate, complex three-dimensional structures formed by these corals provide essential habitat, shelter, and breeding grounds for a vast array of other forms of deep-sea life. Because of this, they function as critical centers of biological diversity in harsh environments that scientists are only just beginning to comprehend and protect.
