*3.1. Cold-Water Coral Occurrences*

The shallowest reefs in the study area are HH and SN, where framework-building scleractinian corals *L. pertusa* and *Madrepora oculata* are observed at depths of 100–200 m and 80–220 m, respectively. At Straumsneset, the densest coral cover is recorded between 130 and 180 m depth. The maximum continuous *L. pertusa* cover (length < 6.5 m, width < 3.2 m, colony height < 1.2 m) is larger than maximum continuous *M. oculata* cover (length < 2.5 m, width < 0.2 m, colony height < 0.5 m, with 0.2–0.3 m dead coral skeleton). The deepest *L. pertusa* colonies are found at HN, where they live at depths between 220 and 240 m. At NK and BV bank reefs, scattered *L. pertusa* patches live at 190–220 m and 200–210 m depths, respectively. At Nakken, patches have heights of 1–2 m and diameters < 4 m. The bank is ~200 m wide. All sites have rich communities of associated megafauna, including the bivalve *Acesta excavata*, sponges *Geodia* sp. and *Mycale lingua*, and octocorals *Paragorgea arborea, Primnoa resedaeformis, Paramuricea placomus,* and *Anthothela grandiflora*. Based on coral coverage, spatial extent, and the proportion of living to dead corals, Langenuen CWC reefs are all in health category II [22], with deeper bank reefs NK and BV and wall reef HN having more coral rubble and dead coral framework than shallow wall reefs HH and SN.
