The ICE-CTD research cruise's main objective was to study the development of coral reefs in two sectors of the North-Atlantic which are characterized by different environmental conditions (Rockall Basin and Southern Iceland). In order to observe and characterize deep coral habitats, the VICTOR 6000 submersible which is remotely operated by cable, will used on RV Thalassa to measure the micro-bathymetry of coral reefs, document the zones studied by taking photos and videos on well-defined segments and take spot samples of living and/or fossilized deep water corals and the surrounding sea water. Between the three geographical zones targeted, sea water samples will be taken in order to characterize the physical properties of water bodies and to conduct analyses of geochemical tracers. The scientific objectives involved: 1) characterization of coral reefs(population type and density, growth, etc.) and current environmental conditions, including for example the potential impact of deep sea fisheries (trawl hauls); 2) studying the development of corals or reefs by providing an accurate time frame; 3) genetic analysis of corals to better understand the connectivity of reefs between the North Atlantic and the temperate Atlantic Ocean and the climate's potential influence of these reefs' development; 4) geochemical analysis of samples of sea water and deep corals to reproduce the temporal variability of ocean tracers as indicators of ocean circulation and its dynamics, while studying the biogeochemical cycle of some trace elements classically used as tracers in paleo-oceanography.