A beautiful, zoomed-in shot of the polyps of the first black coral observed during the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition. It was seen at a depth of 2,437 meters (7,995 feet) during Dive 06. Black corals are a group of corals that belong to the order Antipatharia. They get their "black coral" common name from the color of their stiff, black or brownish skeletons.
Polyps of Black Coral
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 991 KB).

A beautiful, zoomed-in shot of the polyps of the first black coral observed during the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition. It was seen at a depth of 2,437 meters (7,995 feet) during Dive 06. Black corals are a group of corals that belong to the order Antipatharia. They get their "black coral" common name from the color of their stiff, black or brownish skeletons.