A 2,000 year-old black coral was found by scientists in the Gulf of Mexico, near the broken BP oil well, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.

According to the USGS, this is the first time that they were able to determine the age of the black coral in the Mexican Gulf.

The USGS has been trying to determine the age of the ancient slow-growing corals even before the BP oil spill in April 20, 2010.

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© Ringlet.orgBlack Coral
The black corals, that looks like deep-sea bushes or trees and reportedly feeds on organic matter, are located about 1,000 feet below sea-level and 21 miles northeast of the BP well in the Gulf.

International Science sites explains that black corals plays a significant role in marine habitat for fish and other forms of marine life.