“Golden Trees” in the Pacific Ocean: Discovery of a New Coral Species

Researchers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute in California, United States, have discovered a new species of coral in the Pacific Ocean that grows to more than a meter in height and resembles a golden tree. The discovery, announced in the journal ZooKeys, came during the institute’s scientists’ exploration of seamounts off the coast of Costa Rica in 2019 and 2023, when they stumbled upon coral colonies. According to Al Jazeera Net, the coral itself was not the only source of astonishment for the researchers; the rocky outcrops on which these bright yellow, tree-like forms grew were surrounded by thousands of brittle stars, marine animals with a central round body and five slender arms, creating a mesmerizing scene of golden trees and stars. This new coral differs significantly from other coral species both genetically and morphologically, to the extent that researchers had to create an entirely new genus for its classification: “Lorinque,” derived from “Laurelin,” which means “the Golden Tree” in Quenya, a language invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for his novels The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The species was named “Lorinque elyana,” inspired by the fields of brittle stars surrounding the coral colonies.