Action

The deep ocean is a place of extreme pressure, icy temperatures, and complete darkness. As scientists continue to discover, however, it is also a place of bustling activity.

The largest known (so far) deep-sea coral reef habitat lies in the Atlantic, hundreds of miles offshore Georgia and South Carolina. As their shallow-water siblings, these highly adaptive and at-times ancient invertebrates form colonies. But since lack of sunlight makes the surrounding environment inhospitable for photosynthetic organisms, cold-water corals are unable to rely on algae for food and reef reinforcement and sustain themselves by filter feeding.

Like deep-sea corals, throughout our life we may contend with demanding and isolating circumstances, which in many cases we neither create nor control. Purposeful action in the face of challenges, however, is always an option. Positive thinking is a mindset, which may inform our behavior: even in days when we may feel sunlight is not in sight, we can choose to act. And we can do it with optimism.