University of South Carolina Beaufort
USC Beaufort professor Mercer R. Brugler has received exciting news from the scientific community: A newly discovered species of deep-sea black coral has been named in his honor.
The species, Leiopathes brugleri, was recently described by scientists from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and international collaborators. The scientists discovered it during work to better understand the biodiversity of the deep Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
Brugler is Chair of USCB’s Department of Natural Sciences and Professor of Marine Biology.
The new species was found on the continental slope and mound habitats from Texas to Florida and in the Azores between the depths of 244 and 488 meters.
The coral forms impressive tree-like colonies (can exceed two meters in width and height) that provide habitat for a wide variety of marine life and can live for at least 4,265 years, making them valuable indicators of ocean health.
The living tissue is primarily white, but can also be red to orange in color. The discovery was published in the journal Coral Reefs on June 15, 2026.
Brugler’s research has focused on the evolution and conservation of black corals for more than two decades.
