Bright Bank, and underwater salt dome on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, showing relative height above the seafloor, or depth below the surface of the ocean. The warm colors are highest (or shallowest) and the cold colors are lowest (or deepest). The steepest features on the bank indicate the presence of faults, as shown by the yellow lines in the right-hand panel. The high points tend to be covered by coral because these locations have the strongest currents and get the most sunlight. Shallow-water corals do not photosynthesize themselves like plants do, but they host helpful algae that do and that benefit the corals.
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Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Habitats
